Advance Care Planning (ACP) is the process of a person planning and communicating their preferences regarding their health care in the event they loose capacity to make decisions or express their wishes for medical treatment.
ACP offers people the opportunity to discuss these decisions in a supported environment where a person’s own goals, values and personal views and choices regarding their care are taken into consideration.
Capital Health Network, in partnership with the Respecting Patient Choices® team from ACT Health, have developed a communication campaign – Be My Voice – to increase community awareness and uptake of ACP’s within the ACT.
The Respecting patient Choices® (RPC) program provides a quality assured system of discussing, recording and documenting a patient’s preferences for their future health care, in preparation for a time when they might not be able to competently contribute to their end-of-life decisions.
Useful links
- Be My Voice – The Be My Voice campaign encourages families and friends to initiate conversations with their loved ones about their values and wishes around future health care. All information provided is ACT-specific.
- Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) information is explained in the Power to choose booklet found on the ACT Public Advocate website.
- Advance Care Planning Program, Quality and Safety Unit – located at the Canberra Hospital, the unit provides access to trained ACP facilitators that can assist with completing the documents or introducing the subject with your family – ph. 5124 9274.
- My Health Record – How to upload your ACP document to your My Health Record
- Advance Care Planning Australia – A national program that provides information and resources to individuals, care workers and health care professionals.
- Start2Talk – Dementia Australia national initiative to help people and their families plan ahead for their future financial and health care decisions.
- RACGP Position Statement on Advance Care Planning