Advance Care Planning
We believe that every patient’s choices for current and future healthcare should be respected and supported.
Our mission for advance care planning (ACP) is to provide an environment where each patient is able to make fully informed, thoughtful decisions regarding their current and future healthcare. Our goal is to ensure every patient has access to programs, tools, and resources to make and document those decisions, and have them respected and supported by their care team and significant others.
Advance care planning is an ongoing process of learning about the choices we each have in relation to our future medical care and how each of us would want to be treated if we were not able to speak for ourselves. Advance care planning discussions can be very different, depending on an individual’s current health.
For each of these individuals, the process is similar and includes:
- Learning about medical treatment options and the goals for those treatments
- Taking time to explore thoughts and feelings about lifesaving or life-sustaining treatments
- Choosing someone to represent their choices (healthcare advocate) if they are unable to speak for themselves
- Putting those wishes into writing
Considerations for Advance Care Planning
Regardless of current health status, ensuring that loved ones and healthcare providers are aware of your healthcare wishes is the most effective way to ensure these choices would be honored. Through several high-profile cases, recent history has revealed the private agony and public furor resulting from family and friends disagreeing upon what their loved one would have wanted. The ongoing process of conversation and documentation for your wishes serves as both a gift and protection for you and your family.
Helpful Resources