Planning for the future

Planning for what we want and what we might need in the future is hard, but it is important. There might be a time when support needs change, or when families can’t be the main carers anymore.

Having a plan can reduce stress if that change comes suddenly.

Making a plan early means that everyone has time to think about what they want and make choices.

On this page there are different guides and tools to help people with an intellectual disability and their families to plan ahead for the future.

Planning for the future resources

Home and Living

  • Down Syndrome Australia Living Independently workbook for people with an intellectual disability and their families. Download it here.
  • Imagine More has a collection of resources, toolkits and lived-experience stories about housing options for people with disability. Find out more here.
  • My Home My Way and Making Home Real has resources to help people with a disability create their own home, while getting support. Find out more here.

Health

  • Council for Intellectual Disability My Health Matters Easy Read folders are made to improve communication between people with an intellectual disability, supporters and health workers. Find them here.

End of life

  • Talking End of Life has an online toolkit for support workers, families, health professionals, and educators. Find it here.
  • Learn how to talk about death and dying in this article by Siblings Australia. Find out more here.
  • VALID has a series of Easy Read booklets about palliative care and planning for the end of life. Find them here.

Emergencies

  • Red Cross RediPlan is an Easy Read booklet for planning for emergencies. Download it here.
  • University of Sydney has a conversation guide for people with disability to prepare for emergencies. Download it here.

General future planning

  • Community Resource Unit has a resource for families about why planning for the future matters. Download it here.
  • Family Advocacy NSW has an information sheet about advocacy and planning for the future. Download it here.
  • We are all citizens workbook to help people discuss what a good life looks like. Download it here.
  • Parent to Parent has a planning kit in easy-to-understand language about becoming an adult. Find it here.

Legal planning

  • Trusts and Estate planning booklet for families from Down Syndrome Australia about legal considerations for future planning. Download it here.