Dr. Caroline Dalton:

Yes. It is an important point. When discussing people making decisions, they need to have a range of choices available to them and those choices need to be linked to services that are fit for purpose and meet their needs in the way, time and place they require. Accessing a range of appropriate services to address whatever issues or conditions someone has is fundamentally important. If people do not have access to those services, how can they make a choice? As others have said, we do not want people to be left in a situation where they are pushed towards making a specific decision in the absence of other choices and supports of which they may not be aware. This is an important consideration if we are to talk about true autonomy. If someone is going to make a decision, it should be an informed one based on access to the supports he or she requires.