Scenario:

Sharron lives in her own home. Her brother, Tyler, is her Substitute Decision Maker for financial decisions regarding her home. Tyler takes care of the financial decisions for home repairs, property taxes and utilities. He and Sharron talk about these things together.

Recently, Sharron started dating Kim. They have started hanging out at Sharron's home a lot and Kim sleeps over sometimes. Tyler doesn't approve of their relationship. He is concerned Kim is trying to take advantage of Sharron. Tyler believes he should be able to decide who comes over to Sharron's home. Sharron disagrees and is very angry with Tyler.

Questions for Reflection:

Based on what you have learned about the VPA, respond to the following questions:

1. If you were Sharron's direct support professional, what would you do in this situation.
2. What do you think your supervisor could do to support Sharron and Tyler according to the VPA?
3. As Substitute Decision Maker, does Tyler have the authority to make decisions about who comes over to Sharron's home? Explain your answer.
4. Who else should be involved and in what way?