如果有一天我們突然喪失了心智能力，例如患了癡呆（失智）症，我們各種生活和財產事務要由誰來處理呢？
由於國情的不同，很多人在澳洲仍然對持久授權書缺乏了解，有些人向來避免談論患病，身後事等等“不吉利”的問題，從而不正視“持久授權”。在2018年3月20日星期二，我們澳大利亞華人護士協會在永樂長者中心（Ashburton Senior Centre）舉行講課，把相關的法律知識帶到了他們的社區當中。
這次講座的主題就是經常被我們忽略的持久授權書。講課的過程中，我們通過一些實際案例跟
老人們講解 “持久授權書的作用” “持久授權書的製作” 以及 “持久授權書和遺囑的區別”
等等，老人們也對這些話題進行了討論并向我們提出了自己的疑問。當我們談到由於沒有授權書而可能引起的家庭矛盾的時候，老人們紛紛表示不願意看到這樣的情況。如果我們能在心智健全的時候處理好持久授權的問題，並交代好住院醫療及意願，一家人就能在適當的時候作出恰當的抉擇。我們也希望老人們能認識到提前製作永久授權書的重要性，防患于未然。
What if one day we lose our capacity to make decisions, who is going to look after our affairs?
Due to different contexts in different countries, many people know little about the importance of having enduring power of attorney (EPOA). Some people think speaking about illnesses and matters after death is a taboo so that they never take EPOA seriously. Our legal presentation reached Ashburton Senior Centre on the 20 March 2018 and provided attendants valuable information about EPOA.
The legal presentation included “the importance of EPOA” “how to make a EPOA” and “the differences between EPOA and will”. All the attendants were attentive and we had a good discussion about EPOA. Many attendants expressed their concerns regarding the family conflicts caused by the absence of EPOA. They also asked questions about how to make EPOA. If we can prepare an EPOA when we still have capacity to make our own decisions, our family members are able to make the right choice for us. We hope our presentation can give the seniors insight into EPOA and help them plan ahead. An EPOA is not a document to be left for when you ‘are older’.
