Future You® · Your Life, Your Way
What happens when someone else has to speak for you?
We know the people we love.
But do we really know what matters most to them?
A familiar assumption
The problem we don't realise we have.
We tend to think that the people who love us know us. And, in many ways, they do.
They know our laugh. The stories we've told a hundred times. What we like for breakfast. Who we love.
But what happens when they have to explain all of that to someone else?
When the person who knows you best isn't in the room. When you aren't there to answer the questions yourself. When someone has your records, but hasn't yet heard your story.
There is a difference between being known and having what makes you, you clearly understood, remembered and communicated when life changes.
A moment to reflect
“But they already know me…”
Perhaps they do. But have you ever talked about the details that are easy to assume?
01What makes you feel safe?
02Which routines matter more than they realise?
03What makes an ordinary day feel like a good day?
04How do you prefer difficult information to be communicated?
05What would you never want someone to assume about you?
06What would you want someone who had never met you to understand?
Would they know if you couldn't tell them?
When circumstances change
What if life changed tomorrow?
What if… Your family had to make decisions with you, or on your behalf.
What if… Someone unfamiliar had to support you.
What if… You moved into a new environment.
What if… Your usual routines were no longer obvious.
What if… Your medical information was available — but your story wasn't.
What if… People who love you remembered things differently.
Would the people around you really know what matters to you?
Care and understanding
The problem isn't that people don't care.
People care deeply. Families, friends and professionals.
But caring about someone and understanding how they want their life to be understood are not always the same thing. Some of the most important things about us are simply never written down.
There is a person behind the paperwork.
We document the condition.
But do we document the person?
Records, assessments and care plans serve an important purpose. They may not, on their own, tell the whole story of who someone is.
What people may know
- Diagnosis
- Medication
- Care needs
- Risks
- Appointments
- Support requirements
- Clinical history
What they may not know
- What makes you laugh
- What makes you feel safe
- Who you trust
- What a good day looks like
- What you value
- What makes you feel like yourself
- What you would want people to remember
Both matter. One is often easier to document than the other.
The conversation we put off
“I'll do it when I need to.”
“I'm healthy.” “I'm too young.” “My family already knows me.” “We'll talk about it later.”
Some conversations are easier to have before they're necessary.
Why now?
Not because something is wrong. Not because you are expecting something to happen. Simply because you can tell your story today.
Today you can explain your routines, describe the people who matter and say what makes you feel safe.
Do it before you need it.
You don't need to be unwell to want to be understood. You don't need to be facing a crisis to start the conversation.
Putting the person into words
Meet Future You®
Future You® exists to help people capture the person behind the paperwork. It creates space for the conversations we often put off and helps you put words around the things that make your life yours.
Not just what you need. But who you are.
The Future You® Life Profile
Your Life.
Your Story.
Your Way.
A meaningful, personal record of the things that are easy to assume and surprisingly difficult to capture.
From the morning routine and the song that changes your mood, to the people you trust and the things you never want misunderstood.
Explore the Life Profile- Who you are
- Your story
- Your relationships
- Your routines
- Your preferences
- Your values
- What brings you joy
- What helps you feel safe
- How you communicate
- What matters most
The professional service
For a deeper, guided conversation.
We work with you until your needs and wishes are clearly communicated, within an agreed scope — not a fixed number of sessions. Your professionally written Life Profile captures what keeps you well and how you would want your care to look if circumstances change. We explain the fee and what is included before you book.
Looking ahead · In development
A place to start putting your story into words.
A future digital Life Profile is being developed as another way to begin. It will sit alongside, not replace, the deeper OT-led professional service. It is not yet available.
A Life Profile supports communication and understanding. It complements, rather than replaces, a Lasting Power of Attorney, advance decision, care plan or medical record, and does not guarantee how future decisions are made.
A moment to imagine
Imagine someone meeting you for the first time.
They don't know your history, your family, your routines or what makes you laugh. They simply have a file.
What would you want them to know?
Start telling your storyThe perspective behind Future You®
Why Occupational Therapy?
Future You® was created by an Occupational Therapist because Occupational Therapy looks beyond diagnosis and asks a different question:
“What makes this person's life their own?”
Routines, relationships, environment, activities, identity, roles, values and what gives life meaning. That perspective sits at the heart of Future You®.
Explore our evidence-based easy readsBecause being known matters.
Being cared for matters. Being safe matters. Being listened to matters.
But so does being known.
For individuals, families and the professionals who support them, Future You® helps make the person visible — not just their circumstances or support needs.
Your life, your way
Start the conversation.
You don't have to know exactly what to say. You don't have to have all the answers. You simply have to start.
Do it before you need it.
NHS Continuing Healthcare · England & Wales
What might you be missing before a CHC assessment?
When someone you love has complex care needs, you may understand their condition, their daily challenges and the support they require.
But do you understand the CHC process? Do you know what information may be relevant, which questions to ask, or what options are available if you disagree with a decision?
Knowing someone's condition is not the same as understanding their care needs — and understanding those needs is not the same as knowing how to prepare for CHC.
Without the right information, families can be left uncertain about how to prepare, what to ask or where to turn next.
Being informed matters. Being prepared matters. Knowing your options matters.
Independent guidance from an experienced Mental Health Nurse to help you understand and prepare for relevant stages of the CHC process.