Advanced Care Planning – What is it?

by Julianne Whyte

Before I answer that – firstly I want to say what it isn’t.

Advanced Care Planning is not just for people who are frail, old or dying

Advanced care Planning is not a document you write once and never make any adjustments.

Advanced Care Planning is not the same as someone’s will.

Advanced Care Planning is not just about what you want to happen to you after you have died, and it is not just about whether you want to be resuscitated or not.

Advanced Care Planning Is:

• It is a living document – your wishes may change as you age, or your circumstances change. What care and services you want done to you and for you may change depending on your age, your health needs or the level of disability. At 35 you may want to be resuscitated, you may want all treatment, you may want everything done to help you stay alive, regardless of the level of disability that you may have. However, at 95 you may not want any of the above – or you might.
• It is a discussion with the people that are important to you – your family, your next of kin, your important friends. It is a gift to your family – making a pretty tough topic a bit easier to discuss. It saves families trying to guess what you want when you can’t talk for yourself or are unsure.
• Is a document that you take with you to every hospital admission, that your GP has a copy of and you share with any emergency services that you may need if something were to happen to you and you need care.
• Advanced Care Planning is like planning a surprise birthday party – no one wants to talk about it – but it is much better if it is well organised. “Winging it” – is not a strategy!!!
• Thinking that family will know your wished is setting them up to fail and for misunderstandings or miscommunication between family members. Thinking – “Oh! they’ll know what I want” is not a strategy.

Remember the saying: Failing to Plan means that you Plan to Fail. So…. Let’s embrace Advanced Care Planning and take the time it needs. Organise a family dinner or a meeting – perhaps: February : Family – Food – Farewells and talking about what matters . It could be a new family tradition that everyone gets involved in important but sensitive discussions.

It is a ways to be in charge of your own story for the whole of your life – and not letting others decide for you or guess when it really matters.

Here are some conversation starters for your own Family conversation:

• Have you ever talked openly with loved ones about what kind of care you’d want—or wouldn’t want—if something serious happened to you?”
• “If you couldn’t speak for yourself, who would you trust to make decisions on your behalf, and do they know what you’d choose?”
• “What do you think stops people from talking about their care preferences, and how can we make these conversations feel safer and easier?”
• “Have you thought about where you’d feel most comfortable receiving care if you were seriously ill or injured—at home, hospital, or somewhere else?”
• “How would writing down your care preferences help your family or loved ones if they ever needed to make difficult decisions?”
• “What would give you peace of mind when thinking about your future healthcare or medical treatments?”
• “Are there medical treatments or interventions you feel strongly about—either wanting or not wanting—in certain situations?”
• “Have you ever experienced a family conflict or confusion about someone’s care decisions? What could have prevented this?”
• “If you became seriously unwell, how important is it to you that your care aligns with your personal, spiritual, or cultural beliefs?”
• “What’s one small step we could each take this year to ensure our wishes about future care are clearly understood by the people we trust?”