Advance Care Directives
WHAT IS AN ADVANCE CARE DIRECTIVE?
An Advance Care Directive is a written record of your values, life goals and preferred outcomes about future healthcare and medical treatments. Your GP or other health professionals can also help support you to document your choices.
WHO NEEDS AN ADVANCE CARE DIRECTIVE?
You do. Advanced illness or a serious injury can sometimes mean you cannot make your own decisions about healthcare and medical treatments. This situation can happen to people of all ages, and especially towards the end of life. Writing an Advance Care Directive lets you say what you would want, if you are ever unable to communicate for yourself.
WHY IS IT GOOD TO HAVE AN ADVANCE CARE DIRECTIVE?
As Australia's population ages, we are all going to be faced with making complex healthcare and medical decisions, for ourselves and for others, in times of great stress. We all need to start thinking about our end-of-life stage before we get there. An Advance Care Directive will help to ensure that your beliefs and values for future healthcare and medical treatments are known and respected if you are too unwell to speak for yourself. Most importantly you must share your Advance Care Directive with your family, friends, carers and doctors so they all know what you want. Contact us for a free initial discussion.