Making decisions for your future
It can be hard making decisions alone, whether or not you have a disability. Decision-making support resources can help you learn how much support or what kind of support you may need about choices in your own life.
These choices could be about where to live, where to work, how to spend your time during the day, how to spend your money, medicine, doctor’s visits or other things. Everyone is different. The way you get support might be right for you but wrong for someone else.
Family members, caregivers, direct support professionals and case workers will also find these resources helpful.
These resources can help anyone find the support they need.
Understanding Decision-Making Supports
The purpose of the website is to help you find resources about decisions and future planning.
On this site, Decision-making supports refers to actual forms, legal documents or formal agreements to help someone make decision about their life (ex: Power of Attorney, Conservatorship, Health Care Directive). On this website you will find descriptions of different decision-making supports available at every level of support.
Supported decision-making refers to the idea that a person has the right to make decisions to the full extent of their capacity, even as they get needed support.
A Great Place to Start
One of the best ways to start exploring areas of life where people make decisions is by using the LifeCourse Exploring Decision-Making Supports Tool*. This tool will ask you questions and help you think about the types of decisions you want or need help making. The goal is to help you find decision-making supports that your personal needs.
Using the LifeCourse Tool is a great first step for exploring the different support levels on this website. Click on the link below to learn more about the LifeCourse Tool and to get started.
*This tool was developed by the Charting the LifeCourse Nexus (©2020 Curators of the University of Missouri, UMKC IHD, UCEDD).