Advance Care Planning is a process that ensures family and treating healthcare teams understand what is important to you and how you want to be treated if you become unable to make decisions or communicate your wishes
Advanced Care Planning
What we do
We provide education, tools, and assistance to anyone who wishes to complete an Advance Care Directive.
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance Care Planning can include:
- Appointing someone - Think about who you trust to make medical decision on your behalf if you were unable to. You can complete a legal form to appoint this person as your Medical Treatment Decision Maker
- Chatting and communicating - Talk to family, friends and doctors about what is important to you. Discuss your values, preferences and what you would find unacceptable in relation to your health
- Putting it on paper - You can write down your values, preferences and what is important to you in an Advance Care Directive
How can the Advance Care Planning Service help?
You can make an appointment with the Advance Care Planning Service to assist with:
- Appointing a Medical Treatment and Decision Maker
- Having a conversation about your values, preferences and what you would find acceptable in relation to your health
- Writing down your values and preferences in an Advance Care Directive
- The Advance Care Planning Service can also send you an information pack if you wish to start completing the process yourself
When should you do Advance Care Planning?
Almost anyone over the age of 18 years can do Advance Care Planning. Some key groups that Advance Care Planning is useful for are:
- Aged or older people who are frail
- People of any age with chronic progressive and life-limiting conditions
- People approaching end of life
- People with multiple health conditions
- People with early cognitive impairment
- People who are regularly admitted to hospital.
It is also a good idea to discuss Advance Care Planning if you are having medical or surgical treatment as sometimes these may result in temporary loss of capacity.
A good time to do Advance Care Planning is when your health is stable.
Alternatively, you can download a copy of the Advance Care Directive and Medical Treatment Decision Maker forms:
- Advance Care Directive for adults
- Instructions for completing the Advance Care Directive for adults
- Medical Treatment Decision Maker form
- Checklist of steps for appointing your Medical Treatment Decision Maker
Where to get help online
MyValuesis a free online questionnaire that helps you identify and communicate your wishes about medical treatment near end of life. Once done you can choose to then privately store or share them with family/friends to support Advance Care Planning.