Steps to advance care planning
All aspects of advance care planning are entirely voluntary. You may choose to complete some or all of the following steps.
Discuss
Discuss with your carers, family and trusted friends about decisions in relation to future medical treatment and care.
Talk with your healthcare team. Your doctor can advise you about your options, the implications of your choices and clarify what might happen if you want to receive or refuse certain kinds of medical treatment.
Discuss your values, beliefs and what is important to you at the end of your life.
Issues you may wish to discuss include:
- your current medical condition and health issues that may arise in the future
- your potential treatment choices
- who could make decisions on your behalf if you lost capacity
- pain relief and symptom management
- what is most important to you during the last phase of your life (for example, days, weeks, or months)
- where you would like to be cared for if you are dying (for example, hospital, or at home)
- if you want to be told when you are close to death (assuming your doctors are able to predict this) and if you would want other people to know
- who should talk to any children or other close family such as elderly parents about your impending death, if you are unable to do so
- who should look after your pets
- what affairs you need to get in order (personal finances, property, relationships)
- whether you would like pastoral care to be made available
- whether you want any rituals associated with your culture or family tradition to be honoured
- who you wish to visit you
- your funeral arrangements.
Read more about potential healthcare choices including resuscitation planning, ambulance emergencies, and organ donation.
Record
You can document your wishes so that your substitute decision-maker(s) and healthcare team are able to determine your preferences and values if you lose capacity.
Advance care planning documents you may choose to complete include:
- Advance health directive—a legal document which allows you to give instructions about your future healthcare, and appoint an enduring power of attorney. It comes into effect if you have impaired capacity.
- Enduring power of attorney—a legal document giving another person(s) (substitute decision-maker) the authority to make personal (including healthcare) and/or financial decisions on your behalf when you have impaired capacity.
- Statement of Choices—focuses on your wishes, values and beliefs. It is a document in use in some Queensland Health facilities, residential aged care facilities and general practice to support advance care planning conversations, but does not act as a substitute decision-maker or as consent. It is managed statewide by the Metro South Hospital and Health Service.
- Wills—a legal document that states what you would like to happen with your money, belongings and other assets (your estate) when you pass away.
Learn more about:
Share
You may share your advance care planning documents with anyone else who may need to be involved in your future health decision-making, such as:
- your substitute decision-maker(s)
- your carer(s)
- family member(s)
- your doctor(s)
- your solicitor
- the facility where you receive treatment and care (for example, hospital or residential aged care facility)
You may choose to use My Health Record as a way to make your choices available to healthcare providers at the time and place it is needed.
If you have appointed an enduring power of attorney for financial matters you may also choose to share information with:
- your bank
- Centrelink.
It is important to keep the original documents in a safe place and bring them with you if you are admitted to a healthcare facility.
Review
You may want to change or revoke your advance care planning documents for a number of reasons, including:
- changes to your medical circumstances
- the person(s) you appointed as your substitute decision-maker(s) may no longer be available or appropriate for the role
- a change to your living arrangements and lifestyle choices
- a life-changing circumstance.
You can do this by creating new documents in their place. For an enduring power of attorney, you should complete a written revocation.
Remember to:
- destroy any previous originals or request they be destroyed
- let your substitute decision-maker(s), healthcare providers and any other relevant parties know about any changes and provide them with copies of the new documents.
Disclaimer
The information provided on these pages is general in nature and is not intended as legal advice. Advance care planning scenarios will often be complex—you need to consider individual circumstances, and sometimes the level of detail and extra information required will mean you need to seek more advice. If you are in any doubt contact the Office of the Public Guardian, or seek legal advice.