Advance care planning
Advance care planning (pronounced: ad-vans kair plan-ing) is a process that supports adults at any age or stage of health in understanding and sharing their personal values, life goals, and preferences regarding future medical care. The goal of advance care planning is to help ensure that people receive medical care that is consistent with their values, goals and preferences during serious and chronic illness.
Etymology
The term "advance care planning" is derived from the English words "advance" (meaning ahead of time), "care" (meaning the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something), and "planning" (meaning the process of making plans for something).
Process
The process of advance care planning typically includes:
- Understanding one's health condition and prognosis
- Reflecting on one's values and goals for life and for medical care
- Discussing values and goals with loved ones
- Making decisions about future medical treatments and care
- Documenting decisions in an advance directive
- Sharing the advance directive with healthcare providers and loved ones
Related Terms
- Advance directive: A legal document that specifies the type of medical and personal care you want should you lose the ability to make and communicate your own decisions.
- Living will: A written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be used to keep you alive.
- Health care proxy: A legal document in which an individual designates another person to make healthcare decisions if he or she is rendered incapable of making their wishes known.
- Durable power of attorney for health care: A legal document that names a healthcare proxy, who is someone who makes medical decisions for you when you are unable to do so.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Advance care planning
- Wikipedia's article - Advance care planning
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