iDecide: Empowering families to make informed decisions

As many in the Starts at 60 community know, life does not necessarily slow down after 60 especially for those in the sandwich generation who are balancing supporting adult children with caring for aging parents.

They are often the ones navigating sensitive legal, medical, and emotional decisions on behalf of loved ones. Enter iDecide, an Australian made and owned platform created to bring clarity, security, and peace of mind to families when they need it most.

Behind every great innovation is a deeply personal story and for Rechelle Leahy (pictured above), founder of iDecide, that story is one of profound love and loss.

Rechelle’s journey began after losing her Mum, Grandma, and Husband all to cancer within the space of 10 years.

“During those incredibly difficult times,” she shares, “I saw firsthand how important it is to have your ‘paperwork of passing’ in order. It can make an unimaginable situation just a little less overwhelming for those left behind.”

The name iDecide comes directly from her late husband, Alistair, who faced his own diagnosis with courage and conviction. “He used to say, ‘I decide what treatment I have, and I decide what my end-of-life looks like.’That phrase stuck with me. It became a mantra and eventually, the name of the platform.”

Rechelle’s vision for iDecide is clear: to empower people to make their wishes known, store them securely, and share them confidently with loved ones before a crisis hits. “It’s not just about preparing for death,” she says. “It’s about living now, free of the anxiety that comes from uncertainty.”

If you are supporting elderly parents while also helping adult children navigate life, iDecide is purpose-built for your reality.

The platform enables you to:

• Record and store important decisions – from advance care plans and enduring powers of attorney to digital asset instructions and funeral preferences.
• Appoint who has access to which documents and ensure clarity across family members and support networks.
• Communicate your final wishes clearly, reducing the chance of family conflict and last-minute guesswork.
• Update your preferences as life changes and receive helpful reminders when reviews might be needed.

For those who live far from loved ones or manage care remotely, it becomes a secure communication hub that ensures everyone is on the same page even when they cannot be in the same room.

At the heart of iDecide is a firm commitment to security and privacy. The team behind iDecide understands that they are not just storing your documents they are protecting your most personal and legally significant decisions.

Key security features include:

• End-to-end encryption of all stored data and messages.
• Two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorised access.
• Audit trails and activity logs, so you can track exactly who accessed what, and when.
• Australian-based secure cloud storage, ensuring compliance with local data laws and peace of mind for users.

You would not leave your will in a shoebox and with iDecide, you do not have to leave it in an inbox or buried in a filing cabinet either.

Beyond the legal and technical functionality, iDecide includes some beautifully human touches:

• Record video messages or write notes for loved ones.
• Share legacy wishes, such as how you would like to be remembered or personal messages to be passed on.
• Receive guided prompts to ensure nothing gets forgotten especially helpful when dealing with emotional decisions.

And for those navigating the twilight years of a loved one’s life, having everything clearly set out can be a powerful comfort. No second-guessing. No frantic searches. Just space to grieve, remember, and honour their wishes.

iDecide is not about planning for death, it is about embracing life with confidence, clarity, and care.

To learn more or start your iDecide journey, visit www.iDecide.co

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.