Medical Affairs

May 11, 2018 By: Jennifer Foster When I worked in the mental health sector, capacity planning meant setting out health care instructions in advance for a substitute decision maker called upon during periods of episodic illness—usually in relation to young adults. Estate planning involves similar considerations with two main differences: first, capacity planning in these circumstances recognizes that the potential for incapacity is not episodic but probably permanent; and, second, that incapacity planning will involve not only decision making related to treatment of illness, but also financial and long term care decisions. The principles and the legislation are certainly the same; [...]