Advance Care Planning

Advance Care planning is the process by which individuals, providers, family members, and other stakeholders identify patient preferences for end-of-life care in the event that the patient is no longer able to communicate their wishes.

It is important to think through your priorities and to have “the conversation” with those who are close.

We can’t plan for everything. But we can talk about what is most important — in our life, and in our health care — with those who matter most. Talking with the important people in our life can bring us closer together. It also helps us create the foundation of a care plan that’s right for us — a plan that will be available when the need arises.

It’s important for all adults to plan ahead and let their caregivers, doctors, or family members know their end-of-life preferences in advance. For example, if a person wants to die at home, receiving end-of-life care for pain and other symptoms, and makes this known to health care providers and family, it is less likely he or she will die in a hospital receiving unwanted treatments.