What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning is about making choices now, while you are capable, about how you wish to be cared for in the future if you become incapable of making decisions. It is also about giving someone you trust the information and authority to act on those wishes for you. This person is called your substitute decision-maker.

Advance care planning is different from, but just as important as making plans for your finances, property, estate, will or funeral arrangements.

What does "capable" mean in this context?

To be capable of making personal care choices means that you can understand information that is relevant to making a decision about your health care, nutrition, shelter, clothing, hygiene or safety, and can grasp the likely results of making the decision or not making it.

For health care, your doctor or other health care provider needs to have your informed consent. In order for you to give informed consent, you must be capable, given information about your condition, the recommended treatment, alternatives to the proposed treatment and the likely outcomes of either accepting or refusing the treatment.

Why is advance care planning important?

Advance care planning gives you the opportunity to make choices about your future personal care. It can give you the peace of mind that someone you know and trust understands your wishes and will act on them on your behalf, should they ever need to.

It can make it easier for everyone concerned: easier for you, because you'll have the confidence that your wishes are known; easier for those close to you, because it can reduce their stress in making tough decisions on your behalf; and easier for your care providers, because they'll be able to act in keeping with your wishes in an emergency.

Does advance care planning have to be done?

It is your choice whether to do advance care planning or not. No one can do it for you or make you make those choices. It is your right to express your wishes, to appoint a substitute decision-maker and to expect your wishes to be followed. There is no legal requirement to do advance care planning. You are not legally obliged to state your wishes in any form before you can get health care, or move into a care facility.