What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is a crucial process that involves making decisions about the medical care you would like to receive in the future, especially in cases where you become unable to communicate your wishes. It is a way of ensuring that your healthcare preferences are known and respected not only by healthcare providers but also by your loved ones.
Often, people may not consider advance care planning until they are faced with a medical crisis or a life-threatening illness. However, it is important to engage in these conversations early on to have a clear understanding of your own values, beliefs, and preferences regarding medical treatments and end-of-life care. It relieves the burden on your loved ones, who may otherwise be left guessing your preferences during emotionally challenging times. Advance Care Planning Australia has many programs focused on educating individuals on Advance Care Planning including online courses, events and webinars, education frameworks for curricula and the ACP Improvement Toolkit.
Life-sustaining treatments: One aspect of advance care planning NSW focuses on decisions about life-sustaining treatments. These treatments can include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and artificial nutrition and hydration. By discussing and documenting your preferences, you can guide your healthcare team in providing the care that aligns with your values and goals.
End-of-life care: Advance care planning NSW also involves considerations for the end of life. This includes decisions about the level of palliative care or hospice care you would like to receive. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from pain and symptoms, improving quality of life, and supporting emotional and spiritual well-being. Hospice care, on the other hand, is specifically for individuals with a life-limiting illness, aiming to provide comfort and support in their final days.
Organ donation: Another important aspect of advance care planning NSWis expressing your preferences regarding organ donation. By discussing your wishes with your loved ones and indicating your choice on legal documents, you can potentially save lives through organ transplantation. Organ donation can also be a meaningful way for individuals to leave a lasting impact even after their passing. For more information on organ donation, DonateLife NSW is the official site to help educate you and complete the process.
Engaging in advance care planning NSW conversations can bring about various benefits. Firstly, it provides an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their values and priorities, ensuring that their medical care aligns with their personal beliefs. The ACPA has extensive articles regarding Laws and Ethics in the consideration of the ACP process that have been significantly helpful to people in the past. Secondly, it helps maintain control over the medical decisions made on your behalf, giving you peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be upheld.
Why is Advance Care Planning Important in NSW?
Advance care planning is a critical aspect of healthcare decision-making that is legally recognized and supported in New South Wales (NSW). This process empowers individuals to have control over their healthcare choices and ensures that their wishes are followed, even in situations where they cannot advocate for themselves. In NSW, advance care planning is governed by the Guardianship Act 1987 and the Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016, reflecting the significance placed on this aspect of healthcare. Advance Care Planning Decisions’ article 19 Evidence-Based of Advance Care Planning outlines all of the benefits of ACP and cites their research and academic sources so that users can search themself.
Legal Recognition and Support
One of the primary reasons why advance care planning is important in NSW is because it is legally recognized and supported. The Guardianship Act 1987 establishes the legal framework for making decisions on behalf of individuals who lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves. This act ensures that the appointed guardian or enduring guardian takes into account any valid and applicable advance care directives.
The Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 further supports advance care planning NSW by allowing individuals to create binding instructions for their medical treatment, appoint a medical enduring guardian, and express their preferences and values regarding their health and well-being. This legislation ensures that healthcare providers follow the wishes of individuals when they are unable to make or communicate decisions.
Control Over Healthcare Decisions
Advanced Care Planning NSW gives individuals the power to make decisions about their healthcare, even when they may not be capable of doing so in the future. Through this process, individuals can document their treatment preferences, specify the medical interventions they would want or refuse, and outline their goals and aspirations for their quality of life. By proactively engaging in advance care planning, individuals ensure that decisions align with their personal values and beliefs, giving them a sense of autonomy and control over their own medical decisions.
When healthcare providers are aware of an individual's advance care plan, they can tailor their treatments accordingly, avoiding unnecessary procedures or interventions that may not align with the individual's wishes. This level of control over healthcare decisions brings peace of mind to individuals, knowing that their choices will be respected and honoured, even in challenging medical situations.
Reduced Stress and Uncertainty
In critical medical situations, advance care planning can significantly reduce stress and uncertainty for both patients and their families. It is not uncommon for families to face difficult decisions regarding the medical treatment of a loved one, especially when the individual's wishes are unknown. By engaging in advance care planning, individuals eliminate this uncertainty by clearly stating their healthcare preferences. This alleviates the burden on family members, who can confidently make decisions based on the documented advance care plan, knowing that they are honouring their loved one's wishes.
For patients, advance care planning provides peace of mind, knowing that their healthcare choices will be followed, even if they are unable to communicate with them at the time. This reduces anxiety and allows individuals to focus on their well-being without worrying about being subjected to treatments that may not align with their values or goals.
How to Start Advance Care Planning in NSW?
Advance care planning NSW involves making decisions about your future healthcare preferences and ensuring that your loved ones and healthcare providers are aware of them. These decisions can be made through conversations, appointing a substitute decision-maker, and documenting your wishes in an Advance Care Directive.
Evaheld Care Planning
An important step beyond the Advance Care Planning NSW process is deciding your legacy, what you want to leave behind and how you want to be remembered. Evaheld could be the solution for getting the legacy of your personal life in order, the platform helps users can create content and safe keeps personal memoirs and life storybooks, family history journals and even personalised messages that will be safely delivered to their loved ones on a date they choose in the future or after they pass. This platform has over 40 guided templates and guides to make the user’s experience of self-expression and content creation easier, enabling people to create content in any format they like, including videos, podcasts and written. If there is important information and messages that they wish to pass on to their loved ones after they’re gone, this will give them peace of mind that their connections will be everlasting and that their legacy will be preserved for their loved ones and generations to come.
Starting the conversation surrounding your future health can be tough even with family, but it is important to discuss what you want for yourself and what your loved ones want for you as well. If you're having trouble knowing how to begin, the ACPA has an article dedicated to encouraging and helping people start the conversation called ‘Starting the Conversation.’
1. Document your wishes in an Advance Care Directive
An Advance Care Directive is a legal document that allows you to outline your healthcare preferences and treatment decisions. It provides healthcare providers with clear instructions about the medical treatments you would like to receive or avoid in specific circumstances.
When completing an Advance Care Directive, consider including details such as your preferred healthcare providers, religious or cultural considerations, and any specific treatments or interventions you would like to refuse. Be as specific as possible to ensure that your wishes are understood and followed.
Ensure that your Advance Care Directive is accessible to your healthcare providers and loved ones when needed. Make copies of the document, and provide copies to your substitute decision-maker, healthcare providers, and any relevant parties involved in your care.
2. Consult resources provided by NSW Health
NSW Health provides various resources to support advance care planning. These resources offer guidance, information, and templates for creating an Advance Care Directive.
Take advantage of these resources to educate yourself about the legal requirements, processes, and considerations involved in advance care planning. NSW Health can provide you with the necessary information to make informed decisions and ensure that your wishes are properly documented and respected.
3. Speak to a healthcare professional for guidance and support
When initiating advance care planning, it is beneficial to seek guidance and support from a healthcare professional. They can help answer any medical or legal questions you may have and guide you through the process. A healthcare professional can also assist in facilitating discussions with your loved ones and help ensure that your advance care plan aligns with your medical needs and circumstances.
As your circumstances or preferences change, it is important to update your conversations, documents, and instructions accordingly. Regularly review your Advance Care Directive and discuss any changes with your substitute decision-maker and healthcare providers. The ACPA has an informative article dedicated specifically to the role and responsibilities of healthcare professionals in their assistance in the ACP process and could help individuals make decisions.
For People outside of Australia, these are the official sites dedicated to Advance Care Planning
U.S.A.: The Conversation Project by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
U.K.: Universal Principles for Advance Care Planning by NHS England
Canada: Advance Care Planning Canada by Advance Care Planning Canada
We hope this blog has helped educate and guide you on Advance Care Planning NSW and why it's important and beneficial for yourself and health practitioners. Although this future is unknown and can be frightening to think about, but is best for everyone in your life to make the right decisions early.
Download your free Legacy Letter Kit
Share this article