Care provision options

At some point in your life, you may no longer be able to make decisions for yourself. As long as you understand the significance and consequences of your actions, you are considered capable of making decisions. However, an accident, physical or mental illness could result in the loss of your decision-making capacity. There are various ways of making provisions for situations in which you can no longer make decisions for yourself. It is advisable to familiarise yourself in good time with the options available under adult protection law. This ensures that you can decide early on who should or should not represent you.

The following persons can provide you with information about the process and costs of various care provision options:

  • an employee of an association for adult protection,
  • notary public  or
  • a lawyer

These persons as well as the Austrian patient representatives will also advise you if you wish to draw up a living will. After receiving comprehensive medical advice, you can specify which medical treatments you would wish to refuse if you were no longer able to express yourself or make decisions.

Everyone lives differently and has their own needs. In line with this, you can also decide for yourself early enough what should or should not be done in a specific situation, or who should represent you. Therefore, start making provisions as early as possible.

For legal questions and concerns relating to nursing and care

The following links provide contacts for the patient advocacy groups and patient and care representatives in the individual federal provinces, where you can obtain free advice:

Further links: 

Last updated: June 25, 2025