Supporting Decision-Making for Aging Adults and Adults with Disabilities

Supporting Decision-Making for Aging Adults and Adults with Cognitive Disabilities
Understanding Your Options for Health Care & Financial Management

Caring for an aging loved one—or an adult with a cognitive disability—often comes with difficult and unexpected decisions. As a caregiver, you may eventually notice changes in your loved one’s ability to manage their health care, finances, or daily responsibilities. Knowing what to do next can feel overwhelming.

This presentation will guide caregivers, family members, and support professionals through practical options for assisting individuals whose decision-making abilities may be impaired. We will explore a range of supports, from informal decision-making arrangements to more structured legal tools that help protect the individual’s well-being while promoting dignity and independence whenever possible.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to recognize when decision-making support may be needed
• Options for assisting with health care decisions
• Options for assisting with financial management
• Differences between informal supports, powers of attorney, guardianship, and other legal tools
• How to choose an approach that balances safety, autonomy, and respect

About the Speaker
This session will be presented by Alexandra McFassel, Public Guardian for the State of Delaware. The Office of the Public Guardian assists individuals who are unable to make decisions for themselves when the Court appoints the Office to serve as guardian. Alexandra will share insights from her work supporting some of Delaware’s most vulnerable adults and navigating the complex decisions caregivers often face.

Whether you are caring for a parent, a spouse, an extended family member, or a person with a cognitive disability, this presentation will equip you with clear, practical information to help navigate the path ahead.