Advanced Care Planning

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of thinking about what matters most to you. It is about sharing your thoughts, beliefs, and preferences for your future care and health. Having these important conversations now with friends, family, and your healthcare team can provide them with reassurance and direction if you ever are faced with a serious illness or emergency.  Choosing a substitute decision-maker (SDM) to be your voice if you cannot speak for yourself is a vital part of ACP. ACP may include documenting your wishes and talking with healthcare providers and financial and legal professionals

ACP encourages us to:

THINK – think about your values, hopes, and beliefs

LEARN– Learn about your overall health, medical procedures and ask questions

DECIDE – Decide on a substitute decision-maker(s) (SDM)

TALK – Talk to others about your thoughts and decisions

RECORD – write your preferences in an Advance Health Care Directive

The palliative care program has a Reflection Guide (900-B-480) to help with the process of ACP (downloaded here). The Advanced Care Planning brochure (900-B-30) is also a useful resource (download here). Coming Full Circle is an Indigenous focused reflection guide and can be downloaded here. 

For additional information please refer to WH’s ACP policy and consider talking to your loved ones and your primary care team about what matters to you.