What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is about documenting your wishes. Having conversations about your wishes can help your family and friends make important decisions when you are no longer able to do so. You also need to tell your health professionals that you have a plan, or you may wish to discuss your choices with them when writing it. The process includes appointing a Medical Power of Attorney and making a statement of choices. The Respecting Patient Choices Program is a program to support advance care planning in Australia.
The Consumers Health Forum has a brief article on Advance Care Planning that explains some of the terms and issues.
What is an Advance Directive?
An Advance Directive is a legal document that provides guidance for medical and healthcare decisions. It is very similar to an Advanced Care Plan. Advance Directives can tell the doctors that you don't want certain kinds of treatment (such as life support), or that you do want a certain treatment no matter how ill you are (such as antibiotics). With an Advance Care Plan or Advance Directive in place, your wishes are more likely to be understood and taken into account in decision making.
It is important that any written Advance Directive, or Advanced Care Plan is stored safely. A copy should be given to your family and / or health professional. Advance Directives can be registered with the MedicAlert Foundation.
Always talk through any plans you have made with your carer and family, although these could be difficult conversations. The Caring Connections website has information on how to go about this.
Different cultural groups may have different thoughts about how end-of-life decisions should be made. Healthcare professionals may not always understand how people from different cultures like to handle these issues. You can help by explaining to them if this is an issue for you.
Other relevant arrangements
Living will
A living will includes the same information found in an Advance Directive, such as medical and care decisions, however it is not a legally binding document and may not be recognised.
Medical power of attorney / medical agent
Having a Medical Power of Attorney allows you to appoint your own Medical Agent. A Medical Agent can make any decision about your treatment that you have directed. They can decide what treatment is best for you in a situation in which you can’t speak for yourself.
Enduring power of attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal arrangement for another person to look after your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself. An Enduring Power of Attorney continues until death.
Enduring power of guardianship
An Enduring Power of Guardianship is a legal document allowing you to appoint your own guardian(s) which only you can do, and only when of sound mind. Your Enduring Guardian would make decisions for you if you were to lose your mental capacity. An Enduring Guardian makes decisions about you, and how your needs and interests can best be met. Such decisions may include where you will live (if you need to go into a nursing home).
Arrangements such as those described here will vary from state to state, so always seek professional advice when looking to put something in place. The Public Trustee, a community legal centre, a solicitor or law society can also provide advice and assistance with many of the above.
Each State and Territory has different laws covering Advance Directives. If they do not have such laws, they may have such things as Enduring Powers of Attorney, or Powers of Guardianship. You can find out about relevant state or territory information below.
Sometimes it can be difficult for family or healthcare professionals to carry out advance care plans. This may be, for example, because circumstances change quickly. However, having a plan in the first place improves the chances that your wishes will be carried out.
This page was created on 26 March 2007 and is due for review in March 2009