Starting the conversation about advance care planning

This week (18-24 March) is National Advance Care Planning Week, with Australians encouraged to start thinking and communicating preferences for their future health care.

Bolton Clarke Nurse Practitioner Leanne Davey works with the Clinical Innovation Team to provide palliative and end-of-life expertise to care teams, inform clinical care for clients and residents and shape policy.  

She says starting to plan for future care needs can be as simple as having a conversation with family.  

“Advance care planning is voluntary, but it can be an important way for aged care clients and residents to make their preferences known for their future health care and what matters most to them,” she says.

“If the person loses decision-making capacity in the future, the preferences they have recorded can be incorporated into decision-making on their behalf.

“People make an advance care plan to ensure they receive the care they really want, avoid unnecessary care or treatment, and reduce the amount of stress or anxiety for family members when it comes to making those decisions.”

Leanne says Advance Care Planning Week helps raise awareness and knowledge about advance care planning for individuals and for health care workers.

“It helps enhance conversations, the development of advance care plans and the acknowledgment of the person’s wishes and preferences.”