Advance care planning

We encourage you to have a discussion with your loved ones about your goals and values for future health care needs. An advance care plan provides information to others about your wishes in case illness or injury prevents you from telling them yourself.

Advance care planning is designed to help anyone, healthy or sick, communicate their wishes for medical treatment. This planning process will clarify what your family and friends need to know if you become unable to make health care decisions for yourself.

When you put these wishes in writing, this kind of plan is called an advance directive or health care directive.

Advance care planning is a process of:

• Understanding your health care treatment options
• Clarifying your health care goals
• Weighing your options about what kind of care and treatment you would want or not want
• Making decisions about whether you want to appoint a health care agent or complete a health care directive
• Communicating your wishes and any documents with your family, friends and health care provider