Advance Care Planning: Making decisions about serious injury, illness, and end-of-life care.

Advance Care Planning is something many of us know is important yet often put off. Creating a thoughtful plan helps ensure the people who may make decisions for you understand your future health and medical care wishes if you cannot speak for yourself.

It is a process of reflecting on and communicating your values and wishes, so others understand what you would want if you could no longer speak for yourself.

It allows you to consider your choices and priorities before serious illness or a health condition makes these conversations more difficult, and to share your wishes with your Substitute Decision Maker (SDM).

Whether you are planning for yourself or preparing for the death of a loved one, I can guide conversations about key considerations, review important documents, and help create a care plan that reflects your choices.

Having this conversation with your family while you are healthy is a meaningful gift. It helps them understand your wishes and reduces the burden of making decisions for you.

Talking about death is an important part of emotional and practical preparation. It can help people face fears, plan for end-of-life care, and ensure their wishes are honoured, bringing greater acceptance, readiness, and peace of mind to individuals and their loved ones.

Research shows that postponing conversations about death can create significant distress for both the person who is dying and their loved ones.

When should you talk with your loved ones?

Consider having this conversation when you or your loved one:

• Has an appointment with a specialist

• Is discharged from hospital

• Has declining functional abilities

• Has an advanced chronic or life-limiting condition

• Is 65 or older

• Lives in, or is moving into, a long-term care facility

• May lose the ability to make treatment decisions

• Does not have a family member or friend who can act as an SDM (one will be appointed through the Public Guardian and Trustee)

  
  

An Advance Care Plan guides your SDM(s) in the future; it does not give consent today for future care.

Benefits of an Advance Care Plan include:

• Honouring a person’s right to self-determination during critical illness and end-of-life care

• Improving end-of-life care satisfaction for the individual and their family

• Reducing family distress when treatment or care decisions are needed

• Reducing unwanted interventions and treatments

• Reducing hospitalization when it does not align with the individual’s values

• Preparing your Substitute Decision Maker by clearly sharing your wishes

Support through this process can take many forms and depends on each person’s needs and circumstances. Together, we will explore how I can best support you and create a customized care package tailored to your needs.

End-of-life doulas advocate for clients, helping ensure their wishes and values are respected.