Penny Shepherd considers the recently published 4th Edition of the My Future Care Handbook… 

The My Future Care Handbook, produced by non-profit My Care Matters, has been used by AWOC East Kent, AWOC Hastings and other AWOC groups and individuals over the last few years. AWOCs have found it gives them a structure for planning later life, and its buddy service has helped them explore their options. The recently published 4th edition has become more inclusive of those without family or friends. Although there is still room for improvement in providing content specifically for us, many AWOCs are very positive about what the Handbook already offers.

Advance care planning can be challenging, particularly for AWOCs. It can be difficult to identify everything we need to consider, maintain our enthusiasm for recording our wishes and then put the various documents in place. This is particularly so when we don’t have a friend or family member to help us through the process or to act as our Lasting Power of Attorney or Executor.

The Handbook covers everything from “making your bucket list” of key things you want to do before you get frail to writing your will and planning your funeral. You can see what it looks like here. It is available for a modest charge, which includes the optional online buddy service. My Care Matters also offers free education for group leaders at relevant organisations to help them bring older people together to plan. When grant funding is available, it provides free handbooks for these groups.

While organisations like the Office of the Public Guardian and Compassion in Dying offer detailed free information on specific aspects of advance care planning, it can be valuable to have an overview of everything to consider.

AWOCs have found the buddy service particularly helpful. One AWOC reported that her buddy was “skilful, professional in approach and personable” and, over several months, helped her understand more about what an executor and an attorney did, think through her options and decide what to prioritise. In contrast, those who haven’t used this support often say they bought a Handbook, started with enthusiasm, lost momentum and “really must get started again”.

While a buddy has enabled discussion of the challenges of being AWOC, the Handbook itself has mainly assumed so far that we all have family and friends. I was therefore glad to be asked earlier this year to comment on a late draft of the updated 4th Edition (pub. Sept 2025). As a result, several changes have been made to ensure the text is more inclusive. For example, the reasons why you might appoint a professional executor for your will now also include when you have no-one else to appoint. And the introduction acknowledges “Some parts … assume you have someone to speak on your behalf. Most of it can be used or adapted if you don’t, and in these circumstances it is even more important that your wishes are documented.”

While it will be some time before the 5th Edition arrives, there is a clear opportunity to add more then for AWOCs. The Handbook already has “fact sheets” on topics like Housing Options and Types of Care. It would be so helpful to have one on the specific challenges faced by AWOCs and how that affects planning, such as the difficulties of identifying a suitable person to act as Lasting Power of Attorney and/or Executor. This could signpost to resources from AWOC UK and others such as our 2024 webinar recording on Planning for Later Life without Someone You Trust and our forthcoming webinar After Death without Someone You Trust (under development as of late 2025). My earlier blog Why AWOCs need a “Missing Manual” describes some of the additional information needed. AWOCs have commented that it would also be useful to have more for those on low incomes or with few assets, such as explaining the discounts and exemptions available for registering a Lasting Power of Attorney, how local authorities can act as deputies or appointees, public authority funerals and appointing the Public Trustee as your executor. Some also want more on the dilemmas and options if you have had children but are AWOC for reasons like long-term estrangement.

We are delighted that, in advance of the 5th Edition, AWOC and My Care Matters will be working together to produce an AWOC fact sheet for the My Future Care website.

One useful tool already provided by My Care Matters is the online Mycarematters Profile. This enables AWOCs and others to record practical information about themselves that they want healthcare professionals and others to know. This can be invaluable in hospitals, care homes and for care providers. Using the Profile service is free even if you don’t buy a Handbook. The Profile website sells display options, stickers and cards for either a copy of your profile or its access code.

Advance care planning support for AWOCs needs to steer us through the decisions to be made, motivate us on our planning journey, and provide guidance on our specific challenges as people without “someone we trust”. We hope that, in time, the My Future Care Handbook and website will provide more about the last of these. Meanwhile AWOCs have found the Handbook and its associated support to be a valuable tool for us today as well as hopefully becoming even more useful in the future.

Penny Shepherd

Penny Shepherd is an AWOC trustee and a steering committee member of AWOC East Kent.

Special Offer: Readers of this blog can receive a 20% discount on the purchase price of the My Future Care Handbook (excluding P&P) by using this link and quoting MFC20 at checkout. This offer is made by My Care Matters. It is available until further notice but may be withdrawn at any time.

Disclaimer: This blog gives Penny’s opinion based on her own experience and discussion with others. She is familiar with the My Future Care Handbook but not with all alternatives available. These may offer equivalent or better support. Penny is not legally qualified and none of her comments should be taken as personal or professional advice. If you are considering using the My Future Care Handbook, please visit its website and consider whether it meets your specific needs. AWOC takes no responsibility for the discount offer or for your purchase or use of the Handbook or any associated services.