Advance Care Planning
Advance Care Planning
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is recording what you want done, or not done, when you can no longer speak for yourself about your health. You must make these decisions while you still can. An Advance Care Plan only comes into effect if you are unable to make decisions.
Advance care planning is thinking about these issues, talking to your loved ones about what you want, deciding who you trust to make decisions for you when you can’t make them for yourself, and completing the right legal documents.
It is one of the things we often have on our ‘To Do List’ but never quite get around to doing.
Advance Care Planning is a conversation everyone needs to have. It may not be an easy conversation, but it is important to help your loved ones make decisions at a time when they are distressed or unsure about what is the best thing for you.
You can change or add information to an Advance Care Plan at any time. So if your circumstances change or what you want changes, you can update your Advance Care Plan to make sure your current wishes are included.
If you are able to make decisions, you can make a choice that is different to what is recorded in your Advance Care Plan.
Watch some videos on Advance Care Planning from our events below or on our Youtube Playlist:
Advance Care Planning in the ACT
Who would you like to make medical decisions for you if there came a time when you could no longer speak for yourself?
In an emergency situation, an Advance Care Plan provides medical teams with the necessary information to make decisions that reflect what the patient wants, even if they can’t tell them at the time.
There are three ways your choices can be conveyed to health professionals through Advance Care Planning:
- Complete an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPoA).
- Complete a Statement of Choices.
- Complete a Health Direction under the Medical Treatment (Health Directions) Act 2006.
Having a Power of Attorney, completing a Statement of Choices and/or a Health Directive can help you to:
- Make your wishes known about the type of medical treatment you want if you can’t actively make decisions about your medical care.
- Protect your right to refuse unwanted medical treatment and to ensure you get suitable relief from pain and suffering.
ACT Health offers help with advance care planning that gives you a way to discuss, record, and document your health care wishes. It is designed for the ACT health and legal systems. You can find out more on the Canberra Health Services website and by contacting the Advance Care Planning Program, Quality and Safety Unit, 5124 9274 or [email protected]
Advance Care Planning Documents
Involving Others in Advance Care Planning
Partner, Family and Friends
You need to discuss your wishes for medical care with your family and other significant people in your life. It is important to ensure that these people clearly understand your wishes and any instructions you want to give.
If you do not discuss your medical treatment wishes with the important people in your life, they could well ask for care and treatment on your behalf without understanding the implications and that the treatment may be against your wishes.
 Medical Practitioners
Family doctors such as your general practitioner can play an important role in assisting with decisions about your medical care.
Help with Advance Care Planning
There are a range of services available in the ACT to help you with Advance Care Planning.
The Health Care Consumers’ Association (HCCA) has a range of resources to assist consumers with advance care planning. They can also provide an introduction to advance care planning information session for groups of people with chronic health conditions and their carers. If you are interested, please contact HCCA on 6230 7800 or by email.
You can get assistance with your Advance Care Planning and documentation by contacting the Canberra Health Services Advance Care Planning team on 5124 9274. They are available to talk to groups and individuals to explain and facilitate discussion around the importance of advance care planning for anyone over the age of 18 years. Facilitators can also help guide individuals through the process of completing your own Advance Care Plan and Enduring Power of Attorney.
The office of the Public Trustee and Guardian can provide information and assistance with Enduring Power of Attorney, as can your own solicitor. The ACT Public Advocate has developed a guide on completing a power of attorney in the ACT.
General practitioners can assist with decisions about your medical care.
The BeMyVoice website provides advice and guidance on advance care planning and includes consumer stories that might raise issues you haven’t thought of.
Advance Care Planning Australia have a lot of information and resources that are designed specifically for consumers and carers in the ACT. You can also speak to one of their consultants on the phone to help with your planning. Their contact number is 1300 208 582.
Last Updated on 2 August, 2023.