What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning involves planning for your future health care. It enables you to make some decisions now about the health care you would or would not like to receive if you were unable to communicate your preferences or make treatment decisions. This might happen after an accident, due to illness or near the end of your life.

Everyone should consider advance care planning, regardless of their age or health. If you become seriously ill or injured, and you haven’t documented your preferences or identified a substitute decisionmaker, doctors will consider treatments based on their assessment of your best interests.

Advance care planning gives you the chance to:

• talk to your family, friends and doctors about how you would like to be cared for in the future
• write down your own preferences for care and medical treatments
• choose who you would like to make medical treatment and care decisions for you

Benefits for you and the people close to you:

• helps to ensure your preferences and values about health care are known and respected if you are too unwell to speak for yourself
• assists those who are close to you. Families of those who have done advance care planning have less anxiety and stress when asked to make important health care decisions for other people.

Find out more about advance care planning at www.acpa.org.au, talk to your doctor, or any of our Residential or Home Care Managers.

Source: Advance Care Planning Australia.

National Advance Care Planning Week is an initiative of Advance Care Planning Australia.