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Will A Good Life Help Me in My Locality?
PLAN's new book was very consciously written as a generic guide to future planning. The earlier book, Safe and Secure, was more specific to the Canadian scene. But in creating a new book for the broad spectrum of North American families, the writers made sure to span the differences between Canadian and US legislation.
Two chapters of the book focus on wills and estate planning, trust planning, and representation agreements (the representation agreement is a unique alternative to formal adult guardianship which respects the autonomy of people with disabilities while providing status to trusted friends and family members who want to support the individual with decision making).
A Good Life provides concrete examples of these agreements, but always with the understanding that as you begin to formalize these agreements on behalf of your relative, it makes sense to involve a lawyer who practices in your locality. The book and the 'pre-work' that you do as a family can provide your lawyer with important guidelines for structuring wills, trusts and representation agreements within the legal requirements that are specific to your locality.
As you explore the other content areas, you will find that will and estate planning, trust planning and representation agreements are just three of the steps that families need to take to ensure a lifetime of companionship, connection, contribution and continuity. A Good Life addresses critical and universal issues around housing, relationship-building, contributing to the life of your community, securing your plan, creating a vision for the future and conveying that vision to the people who will care for, and walk with, our sons and daughters in the future.
The work of families and friends is not defined by national or state boundaries or local legislation, regulations, or service systems. It is about creating solutions that are specific to your family and your relative and your community. It is about finding allies within your own community and following the 'threads' of your relative's gifts and interests towards involvement, contribution and companionship. These are intensely personal and local, not national questions.
The underlying strategies in A Good Life have been tested for many years by families and friends throughout North America and other countries throughout the world. They provide the basis for supporting the family's conversations with lawyers, estate planners, other family members, friends and relatives, and when this is possible, with their relative who has a disability.