Written by Professor Jennifer Tieman (@JenniferTieman), Director, Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death, and Dying.
Advance care planning is the process of planning for your future health care. Each year during National Advance Care Planning Week, we are encouraged to attend an event, download some resources, and most importantly start a conversation. Sometimes, those conversations are about our own future and our health and sometimes, they can be about someone who is close to you.
These conversations are unique and can be ongoing because they connect our personal wishes and preferences with how we can make sure that everyone is on the same page when the time comes for advance care plans to be implemented. Ideally, these conversations start when you are well and then continue throughout your life.
Advance care planning is a simple concept. It involves talking about your choices and preferences for end-of-life care with your loved ones and doctors. This helps them make decisions about your care if you no longer can.
Advance Care Planning Australia is funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care to promote advance care planning. Their work includes:
- providing advice and support on advance care planning across Australia
- providing training and education programs for health and care professionals
- providing education frameworks for educators
- providing advance care planning guidance for health and care professionals
- producing bespoke information for diverse communities and specific health settings.
The theme for #ACPWeek24 is Share what matters most. During this week, we will be asking staff and students “What matters most?” This is an important question, a good point for reflection and as the start of a conversation to the people who matter to you and to the people who will be providing your care. We are looking forward to seeing the comments and views. I’m sure we will get many meaningful and enlightening perspectives which we will share back with our community.
We will also be highlighting our work at RePaDD. Our work with patients, carers, and families and with health professionals, aged care and researchers often includes aspects of advance care planning, whether it is about sharing information about what it is, how to manage difficult conversations, building awareness of palliative care and choices, encouraging family discussions, building death literacy, supporting carers, or addressing needs of underserved populations. We will be featuring aspects of this work across the week as well.