Advance Care Planning - Making your wishes known
Welcome to the NSW Health Advance Care planning website.
NSW Health is committed to respecting an individual's values and preferences.
This website explains how Advance Care Planning helps you to make your wishes for care at the end of life known.
HEALTH PROFESSIONALS - go to http://www.archi.net.au/resources/moc/community-moc/acp for policy, evidence and tools to help you do Advance Care Planning with your patients.
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is a way for you to talk with your family, friends and your doctor about the type of medical care you would want to receive if you became seriously ill or injured.
• You are able to guide your loved ones and your doctor in making medical treatment decisions for you when you are unable to make these decisions for yourself.
• Discussing your medical treatment wishes before you become ill gives you and your loved ones the opportunity to talk about your values, experiences, fears and preferences for end of life care.
You do not have to have a terminal illness for Advance Care Planning to be relevant for you. Advance Care Planning can occur as part of the general process of gaining health information in the normal course of interactions with your family, friends and health professionals. Like making a will and appointing a power of attorney or enduring power of attorney, Advance Care Planning may simply be a part of planning for the future.
It has been shown that health outcomes for people and their families improve when they are able to talk through their concerns, decisions, preferences and choices with health professionals.
Advance Care Planning is not about euthanasia. Euthanasia is a deliberate act to cause the death of a person. It is done, at the person's request, for what he/she believes is in their best interest. Euthanasia is against the law in New South Wales.
This web page is managed and authorised by Health Services Performance Improvement of the NSW Department of Health. Last updated: 6 April, 2011