Glossary
When a person is not mentally capable of making decisions, someone must make decisions for them. This person is called a substitute decision-maker (SDM). An SDM can make decisions about your personal care, health care, and medical treatments.
If you have a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, your attorney is your SDM. If you have a guardian of the person, your guardian is your SDM, even if you have a Power of Attorney for Personal Care. If you do not have either of these, the law says who will be your SDM.
In Mental health, Psychiatric treatment
Treatment is anything a health-care provider does to improve your health or prevent your health from getting worse. This includes things like medicine or drugs, counselling, therapy, or medical care for an illness or injury.
Treatment does not include the time a health-care provider assesses your physical or mental health. It also doesn’t include the time they spend talking to you about your health.