The following information is from MyHealth.Alberta.ca, the Alberta Health Services website that will help you to understand the concept of Advance Care Planning.
What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning is a way to help you think about, talk about, and document your wishes for chealthcare. It’s a process that can help you make healthcare decisions now and for the future.
What are the benefits?
If there’s a time when you aren’t able to speak for yourself, it’s important that your loved ones and your healthcare team understand your wishes for healthcare.
None of us know what tomorrow might bring, or know how our health will be in the future. Planning today makes sure that your wishes are known, no matter what the future holds.
Advance care planning may bring comfort and peace of mind to you, your family, and to those who may have to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Who is it for?
Everyone. We can all benefit from advance care planning. If there’s an unexpected event or change in your health and you aren’t able to make decisions about your healthcare, planning ahead makes sure that your wishes are known.
Be brave enough to start
a conversation that matters.
When is a good time to start?
Now. It’s important to start talking about your wishes now, before you have a health crisis.
“I want my family to know my feelings about my future health care. That way, if they’re faced with making decisions on my behalf they’ll have peace of mind.”
Imagine that you’re badly injured in a car crash. You’re in the hospital intensive care unit and aren’t able to communicate. Your heartbeat and breathing can only continue with the help of machines and medicine (artificial support). Your doctors believe you likely won’t recover.
Imagine that you’re not able to make decisions for yourself anymore. You no longer know who you are, who your family members are, or what happens from one moment to the next. You will never be able to communicate meaningfully with others.
Imagine you have an illness that’s getting worse despite treatment and you’re nearing the end of your life.
An unexpected or sudden medical event can leave you unable to say what your healthcare wishes are. Other medical conditions may slowly take away your ability to communicate or make decisions about your healthcare.
This is why another important step in the advance care planning process is to choose and legally appoint someone who can speak for you in case you’re not able to. This person would be your agent.
NextAvenue has a great article called, "How to Talk to Your Grown Kids About Your Mortality". It's worth a read.
Tom Brokaw's conversation with his daughter about his wishes for his end-of-life care is an excellent video.
Documenting your wishes
In a medical emergency, a Goals of Care Designation guides your healthcare team to provide timely care that best reflects your health condition, the treatments that will benefit you, and your own wishes and values.
Decisions about Goals of Care designations usually come up through conversations between you, your agent or loved ones, and your healthcare team.
It helps to think and talk about your own wishes for healthcare in case you’re ever not able to tell your loved ones or healthcare team what your wishes are. If you became really sick tomorrow, would your loved ones or healthcare team know what your wishes were?
Alberta Health Services has provided lots of information on issues related to Advance Care Planning. We would all be wise to take some time to reflect on our wishes for health care and end of life care, and to communicate this to our family or supportive friends.
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