The Importance of Advance Care Planning
- Written Healthcare Wishes – Document created while healthy that guides designated representatives in making future medical decisions without uncertainty.
- Key Elements – Covers treatment preferences, religious beliefs, financial power of attorney, and specific medical directives like DNR orders.
- Peace of Mind – Eliminates future worries by ensuring healthcare wishes will be followed by trusted representatives.
No one wants to think about the end. Sure, it’s scary, and kind of morbid, but planning your care in advance with trusted family members is one of the biggest ways of showing that you care about them. An advance care plan helps your designated representative make some difficult choices on your behalf with no uncertainties. Having everything laid out in black and white so that a representative can follow will keep emotions in check, and provides security to the family that a senior’s wishes are being met.
What is an Advance Care Plan?
An advance care plan allows a person to share their wishes when it comes to their future health care treatments. It’s best to do this type of planning when you are in the best of health, have strength of mind, and among family or friends that you want involved in your future care.
This written summary works as a guide for your representative when it comes time to make decisions regarding your care. Your representative is the decision maker in your place. Choices will based on the instructions left in the care plan.
If there are religious beliefs to take into account, write it down. Document specific treatments you’d accept or refuse if unable to communicate, including feeding tubes, breathing machines, life-prolonging measures, and DNR orders.
It Also Includes….
Advance care planning also includes choosing an Enduring Power of Attorney. This is a designated person to make decisions for you with respect to your finances and property; and an Advance Directive, which are instructions for the healthcare professionals to follow in times when your care is being decided.
If you need more information on how to get started planning your advance care, Advance Care Planning is a great website to check out.
Though planning end-of-life care is something everyone dreads, completing it with designated representatives provides security and peace of mind knowing your healthcare wishes will be followed.
