Figure 42 – How well appointed decision-makers understood their responsibilities and the principal’s
wishes before they started performing the role
Very well
Moderately well
Fair
26%
Poorly
Very poorly
59%
12%
3%
Q.39. When
you first started performing the role,
how well did you understand your
3%
26%
59%
12%
responsibilities/role? Base: Active decision-makers n=226
68%
24%
8%
68%
24%
8%
Q.40. When you first started performing the role, how well did you feel you understood the
person’s wishes? Base: Active decision-makers n=226
Seven in ten appointed decision-makers (70%) had high confidence in their ability to respect the principal’s
wishes and values. Two thirds had high confidence in their ability to communicate and consult with the
principal (63%) or keep appropriate records (62%).
However, appointed decision-makers had less confidence in their ability to carry out legal decision-making
(47% highly confident), comply with laws (51%) or avoid conflicts of interest (52%).
Generally speaking, appointed decision-makers who were younger than 65 years old were less confident in
carrying out their obligations, and those who were 65 or older were more confident.
Figure 43 – Confidence of appointed decision-makers to carry out their obligations
Q41
Respecting
principal’s
wishesand
andvalues
values
Respecting
thethe
principal’s
wishes
70 %
22% 4%
Communication
consultation
withthe
theprincipal
principal
Communication
andand
consultation
with
63 %
28%
5%
Keeping
appropriate
Keeping
appropriaterecords
records
62%
29%
6%
Highly
confident
Financial
management
(e.g.
paying
bills,
Financial
management
(e.g. paying
bills,
managing
managing investments)
investments)
61 %
31%
4%
Moderately
confident
Communication
and consultation
with
Communication
and consultation
with others
(e.g.others
family
(e.g. members,
family members,
healthcare
professionals,
healthcare
professionals,
57 %
33%
6%
Avoiding
conflictsofofinterest
interest
Avoiding
conflicts
52%
37 %
6%
No
confidence
Complying
with
laws
andregulations
regulations
Complying
with
laws
and
51%
39 %
6%
Legal
decision-making
(e.g. signing
legal documents,
Legal
decision-making
(e.g. signing
legal documents,
entering
entering into contracts)
into contracts)
47%
41 %
8%
Not
applicable
Not very
confident
Q.41. How confident are you that you can carry out the following obligations as an appointed decision-maker (if applicable)?
Base: All decision-makers n=522. ‘No confidence’ and ‘Not applicable’ cells with 4% or less have had their data labels removed.
Chapter : 7
Principal and appointed decision-maker considerations and experiences
49