Healthcare decisions become more difficult when they have to be made quickly or in times of crisis. Yet the majority of Americans have never fully documented their healthcare preferences or chosen someone to make those medical decisions when they cannot. Advance care planning solves this problem by protecting your right to make your own healthcare choices. It takes the pressure off your family during difficult moments and helps your doctors provide the care that aligns with your values and goals.
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance Care Planning is a process that involves creating a plan for the medical care you want in case you ever become too ill or unresponsive to speak for yourself. It includes having open conversations with your loved ones about the type of care you want and creating a legal document that makes sure your wishes are carried out. Advance directives allow you to get the care that matches your wishes, not someone else’s guess about what you’d want.
Having advance directives in place does more than document your preferences. It protects everyone involved. For you, that means your voice is heard in all aspects of your future medical care. You maintain autonomy over decisions about surgery, life support, pain management, and where you want to receive care.
For your family and friends, advance directives provide your loved ones with the clarity and confidence that they’re honoring your wishes for medical care. This reduces guilt, family conflict, and the emotional burden of not making the right choice.
Who Should Consider Advance Care Planning?
You don’t need to be sick, elderly, or dying to benefit from advance care planning. Anyone who is 18 or older can benefit from making a plan for their medical future. Advance care planning can be especially important if you have a chronic condition, are undergoing major surgery or treatment, or are an older adult. But the best time to complete your advance directives is before you ever need them.
What are Your Options for Advance Directives?
Advance care planning typically involves completing one or both of the following legal documents:
Living Will
A living will is a legal document that gives your doctors clear instructions on how you want to be treated medically if you cannot make your own decisions, such as:
- Medications and treatments: Whether you want surgery, specific treatments, or prefer to decline
- Life support measures: Your preferences on ventilators, feeding tubes, dialysis, or other life-sustaining technologies
- Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders: Whether you want resuscitation attempts if your heart stops
- Pain management and comfort care priorities: Your preferences on pain control and view of quality of life vs length of life
- Care location: Whether you prefer to remain at home or receive care at a facility
Your living will speaks for you when you can’t, ensuring medical teams understand your medical preferences.
Another alternative to a living will is the Five Wishes booklet. It can be a cost-effective alternative to completing a living will document with a lawyer. If you ever fall seriously ill or are unable to speak for yourself or make your own health care decisions, Five Wishes clearly indicates who you have selected to make decisions on your behalf as well as what medical interventions, if any, you want to have taken.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
A durable power of attorney, also known as a healthcare proxy or healthcare power of attorney, is a legal document that names someone you trust to make medical decisions for you when you are unable to communicate. This person makes decisions on your behalf for situations you didn’t anticipate or cover in your living will based on what they know about your values and wishes. Pick someone who knows you well, can handle difficult decisions under pressure, and will advocate for your wishes even if they might differ from their own wants.
How Do You Start Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning can be very overwhelming, but breaking it into steps can make it more manageable.
- Take the time to think about what matters most to you – your values, your fears, and the kind of life you want to live.
- Talk openly with your healthcare provider, friends, and family about your preferences and the type of care you want in the future.
- Choose someone you trust to be your healthcare proxy and let them know what this role means.
- Complete your advance directives and share copies with your doctors, your healthcare proxy, and close family members.
By taking these steps now, you ensure that your voice will be heard when it matters most. You give your family confidence that they’re honoring your true wishes, and you give yourself the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re prepared for whatever the future holds.
If you’re ready to start your advance care planning journey, we’re here to help. Our team can answer your questions and guide you through the process. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you prepare for your medical future.