What is Advance Care Planning?

The organisation, ‘Advance Care Planning Australia’ says, “Advance care planning involves shared planning for your future health care needs. It is a voluntary and ongoing process. 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.”

What are the Benefits?

There are many benefits to thinking about our future care needs, for people of all ages, regardless of our health. The two main ones are:
–  It helps ensure that our wishes and preferences are known and respected if we are too unwell to speak for ourselves.
–  It removes some of the anxiety and stress for our loved ones when we have already made our wishes known and they are not burdened with this responsibility.

Share What Matters Most to You

Advance Care Planning allows you to talk to your family, friends and doctors about what matters to you. How would you like to be cared for? What are the important aspects of your care and treatment that your carers should know about? Your preferences for care and medical treatments can then be recorded.

Secondly, you can choose who you want to make any medical and treatment decisions for you if the need arises.

This gives you peace of mind that your wishes are known and understood. There is no ambiguity for your loved ones or difficult decisions to be made by them. It ensures that your preferences are clear and respected by your loved ones and carers.

Advance Care Planning Australia notes the following steps to follow:
– Be open: think about your wishes and preferences for your current and future health care.
– Think about who you would like to speak for you if you aren’t able to speak for yourself. Ask them if they will be your substitute decision-maker. It must be someone over 18, available and willing to do this.
– Talk about your wishes to this person and others involved in your care including family, friends, carers and doctors.
– Write down your wishes and preferences and who your substitute decision-maker is.
– Make sure relevant people have a copy of your wishes.

Writing Your Wishes down

Advance Care Planning Australia has online resources which include forms for each state and territory to assist you to write down your wishes:
www.advancecareplanning.org.au/create-your-plan

National Advance Care Planning Week at our Residential Homes

National Advance Care Planning Week is the perfect time to share your thoughts with loved ones and the care staff about what matters to you.

Completing Advance Care Planning will assist our staff to understand what is important to you and what treatments you want and do not want in the future.

Nominate a substitute decision maker or speak to our staff about documenting your wishes in an Advance Care Plan.

During the week there will be information stands at each residential facility and staff will be available to answer any questions.

We encourage you to arrange a time to discuss your wishes or the wishes of your loved one with the staff at Vasey RSL Care. Sharing what matters most to you will help everyone – including those you love.