Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of thinking about and communicating your wishes for future medical care if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. It is important to have an ACP in place so that your loved ones know what you want and can make decisions on your behalf that are consistent with your wishes.

Three Essential Steps of ACP

Decide what treatments and health care you do or do not want. This includes thinking about your values and priorities, as well as your medical condition and prognosis. You may want to discuss your wishes with your doctor, family, and friends.
Communicate your thoughts to those you want to make decisions on your behalf. This is known as choosing a healthcare proxy or surrogate. Your healthcare proxy is the person you authorize to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to do so yourself.
Put your wishes down on paper in the appropriate legal forms. This is known as an advance directive. An advance directive is a legal document that tells your doctors and other healthcare providers what types of medical care you want to receive if you become unable to make decisions for yourself.

Advance Directives

There are two main parts to an advance directive:

What: This is the part where you state your preferences for future medical care. You may want to specify what types of treatments you want to receive, such as CPR, artificial ventilation, and dialysis. You may also want to specify what types of treatments you do not want to receive, such as feeding tubes and life support.
Who: This is the part where you name your healthcare proxy. Your healthcare proxy is the person you authorize to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to do so yourself.

Living Wills

A living will is one type of advance directive. It is a document that states your wishes for end-of-life care. A living will can be used to specify what types of life-sustaining treatments you want or do not want to receive if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious.

Benefits of ACP

ACP has many benefits, including:

It ensures that your wishes for future medical care are known and respected.
It reduces stress and anxiety for you and your loved ones.
It helps to avoid disagreements among family members about your care.
It improves the quality of care you receive.

How to Get Started with ACP

If you are interested in getting started with ACP, there are a few things you can do:

Talk to your doctor about ACP. They can answer your questions and help you develop a plan.
Get copies of advance directive forms from your doctor or hospital.
Choose a healthcare proxy and discuss your wishes with them.
Complete the advance directive forms and give copies to your doctor, healthcare proxy, and family members.

ACP is an important part of your overall health care plan. By taking the time to think about and communicate your wishes for future medical care, you can ensure that your wishes are respected and that you receive the care you want.