Advance care planning is a simple process that you can start today. It involves thinking about your values, beliefs and preferences for your future health and care while you are still able to make decisions and communicate your preferences and acceptable outcomes.
It also involves discussing this with your loved ones and doctors and documenting them to ensure your loved ones and health providers know what matters most to you and respect your treatment preferences.
Ideally, advance care planning will result in your preferences being documented in a plan known as an Advance Care Directive, and the appointment of a substitute decision-maker to help ensure your preferences are respected.
These two terms are often used when talking about advance care planning; however, they are distinctly different, and it is important to understand the difference. An Advance Care Directive involves you documenting your own preferences for future care. It can include your values, life goals and preferred outcomes, as well as specific directions about care and treatments. You can also formally appoint a substitute decision-maker in an Advance Care Directive.
Advance Care Directives are legally binding, and the health care preferences you document must be followed.
An Advance Care Plan is created by someone else on behalf of a person who has diminished or no capacity to make decisions for themselves.
An Advance Care Plan can include an individual’s beliefs, values and preferences in relation to future care decisions. While these plans can provide valuable guidance for substitute decision-makers and health practitioners, they are not necessarily legally binding.
Your Advance Care Directive or Advance Care Plan can be uploaded to your My Health Record, making it easily accessible to you and your health care providers.
More information about uploading these documents to your My Health Record is available on the Australian Digital Health Agency website.