What Is Advance Care Planning?

1. Advance care planning is the development of guidelines that determine and document a person’s goals and wishes for specific treatments, based on medical condition and personal preferences.
2. Advance care planning ensures that clinical care is directed by an individual’s choices, even if she or he becomes unable to make decisions.
3. Advance care planning decreases crisis decision making by anticipating emergencies.
4. Advance care planning promotes understanding, reflection, and communication about values and preferences with family and other caregivers.

Why Is It Important?

1. Many of the choices about end of life will involve medical treatments.
2. People with decisional capacity are allowed to choose representatives to make decisions based upon their preferences and choices.
3. Advance planning for medical decisions and funeral arrangements may decrease stress for the survivors.

What Questions are asked in advance care planning?

1. What if I am unable to communicate?
2. What if I am too sick to eat, except through a feeding tube?
3. What if I am unable to breathe on my own for an extended period of time?
4. How will my final arrangements be handled?
5. What if I don’t want life-saving procedures?
6. Whom do I want to make decisions for me if I’m seriously ill?

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Source: “Understanding End of Life Care”, NASW © 2004