What is Advance Care Planning?
It is important to think carefully about who you need to include in these conversations. It is a good idea to include your GP or any other medical professionals, such as consultants for various conditions. They will be able to give you an overview from a medical perspective about the kinds of care and support that might be available and appropriate to your specific health needs.
If you have a Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare you should let them know that you have created an Advance Statement and/or Advance Directive. It's a good idea to share these with them so they can act appropriately on your behalf.
You might want to include your loved ones, family, or close friends in these discussions. It can sometimes feel difficult to start these conversations because people don’t like to think about our loved ones becoming unwell. You can let them know that this is important to you and that if they are not ready to discuss this now, that you would like to put a date in the diary to have the conversation.
Creating an Advance Care Plan can actually be a gift to our loved ones as it takes away any burden of responsibility or guilt they may feel if they are asked to help make a decision about our care.
Important note: Unless you have an LPA for Health and Welfare, no-one has a legal right to be included in conversations about your care. Doctors and medical teams may ask family for their input to help them make a ‘best interests’ decision, but they don’t have to and they don’t have to abide by what the family ask.
