What is Advance Care Planning & What Does It Mean For Your Health?

Advance Care Planning is an important aspect of everyone's health, but it is often misunderstood as only being applicable to those near end of life.

It doesn't matter if you have chronic conditions, are elderly or a weekend warrior, Advance Care Planning is something everyone should make time for and work on with their family.

What is Advance Care Planning?

Advance Care Planning, according to the National Institute of Aging, is preparing for future decisions about your medical care and discussing these plans if you become seriously ill or are unable to communicate your care wishes.

These conversations are most often had with your loved ones and are the most important part of Advance Care Planning.

You may also choose to put your wishes into writing via advance directives. These most often appear as two separate documents: a living will and power of attorney for health care.

Together, these advance directives achieve various things should be chronically ill and unable to communicate, including:

• Telling doctors how you want to be treated, including what treatments you want and which you wish to avoid
• Laying out the particular situations in which your care wishes should be carried out
• Naming your care representative who can make care decisions for you

Your advance directives should be living documents that you review and update each year. Other advance directives that you may have heard of include a do not resuscitate order, a do not intubate order and a do not hospitalize order.

Advance Care Planning is another reason it's important to establish care with a primary care provider so that you can discuss your wishes and preferences with a medical practitioner familiar with you and your health.

Benefits of Advance Care Planning

It may feel like Advance Care Planning is not something you want to think about, but there are numerous benefits for you and your loved ones.

Most importantly, Advance Care Planning ensures you get the care you want even if you aren't able to communicate those wishes. Here are some other proven benefits to Advance Care Planning:

• May help your loved ones feel less burden, guilt and depression while you receive care or in the event of your passing.
• Ensures decisions about your care are not made by the state laws of where you live, which may not align with your desires.
• Reduce uncertainty for you and your loved ones, providing peace of mind in the event of an unexpected illness or injury.
• Minimizes potential conflict among your loved ones who may disagree about decisions regarding your care.

Advance Care Planning conversations can be awkward and difficult to begin, but the EvergreenHealth Advance Care Planning can help. Reach out today by emailing GrpACPFacilitation@evergreenhealthcare.org.