[Resource] Personal Directives

Use a personal directive to name someone to make personal decisions for you in case you become incapable due to illness or injury.

Alberta does not have living wills. Instead, we have personal directives.

See the full Alberta Government Personal Directive Website here

A personal directive is a legal document you make in case you cannot make your own personal decisions in the future. A personal directive:

is optional, voluntary and highly recommended
names the person or people you have picked to make personal decisions for you – the person you name on the personal directive is called an agent
ensures your written instructions are known in case something happens to you
only comes into effect if you are found to lack capacity – that means you are not able to make your own decisions
can be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) – if you and your agent consent to having your contact information included in the registry

Your instructions can be about any or all personal matters that are not financial, such as:

When you write a personal directive:

you decide who will be your agent or agents
you can have more than one agent and you can choose the areas they will have authority
your wishes are written down so there are no questions about what you would want if you lose capacity

This is what may occur if you do not have a personal directive and something happens when you are unable to make your own decisions:

you do not get to choose who makes decisions for you
a healthcare provider may pick your nearest relative to make decisions for you about:
health care
temporary residential placement
a family member or friend may have to go to court to become your guardian so they can make your personal decisions – this takes time and money