Persons seeking assistance

The assistance measure is for any adult who:

• is living with any type of difficulty (for example, difficulty understanding banking transactions, difficulty communicating with service providers or government departments, or difficulty making decisions);
• wants to be assisted;
• understands the scope of the measure;
• is able to express their wishes and preferences.

Here are some examples of difficulties that could cause you to want to use the assistance measure:

• a difficulty related to loss of autonomy due to aging;
• a difficulty related to a mild intellectual disability;
• a difficulty related to a visual, hearing  or motor impairment, or a speech disorder;
• a difficulty related to a mental illness;
• a difficulty related to a language barrier or literacy level;
• a difficulty related to an addiction problem (substance abuse).

When you submit your application, the Curateur public will not assess the difficulties you are living with or the reasons why you want assistance.

Once your prospective assistant is recognized by the Curateur public, you can: 

• ask them directly for help as needed (no need to go through the Curateur public);
• inform the Curateur public of any change in your situation (personal information, address, etc.);
• exercise your rights and make sure your assistant does not overstep their responsibilities, e.g., by signing documents or making decisions for you;
• reimburse your assistant for certain expenses incurred in the course of their duties according to the agreement you have set up with them, for example, transportation or communication fees.