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Advance care plans, funeral arrangements and other decisions
Advance care plans (ACP) are ways to tell people of the health care you would or would not like if you were are unable to communicate your preferences or make decisions. This often relates to the care you receive at the end of your life. ACP assists families to know your wishes.
Advance Care Directives are putting this plan in writing. The forms have specific instructions for completion that need to be followed. They need to be witnessed by a medical practitioner and another adult.
In your Advance Care Directive, you can write:
- an instructional directive with legally binding instructions about future medical treatment you consent to or refuse
- a values directive which documents your values and preferences for your medical treatment decision maker to consider when making decisions for you
My Values, My Wishes
Some values will be more important to you than others. Exploring these can assist in identifying your wishes about your current and future care. We have created a My Values My Wishes Prompt Booklet which you may find helpful to go through with your loved one. Click to download below.
For Aboriginal and First Nations people, special resources on advance care planning have been developed by Palliative Care Australia visit https://dyingtotalk.org.au/aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-discussion-starter/ and Discussing Choices - Indigenous Advance Care Plans
Social Media and important passwords
This is often overlooked. Think about what might need to be shared, altered or closed. Read through the Palliative Care Australia Social Media Guide.
Wills & Funeral Arrangements
“It is preparation, not a sign of giving up” said a carer.
Wills and estate planning are not something EPC assists with. Please talk with other experts about this. The EPC Family Support Worker will ask if they are in place.
Planning ahead allows discussions and decisions on the type of funeral service, music preferences, interment or cremation location, even the donation of a body to science.
Helpful hint- put the information in one place so that it can be gathered when needed (even to use when changing things as decisions don’t have to be final).
EPC Family Support Workers can assist with information if you need it.
Do you need to make a Will – here is an easy and inexpensive way…
Wills have traditionally been too expensive or complicated for most people. Only those who had the time and money to see an expensive lawyer could get a Will and protect their family. But Wills were meant for everyone.
That is why EPC has teamed up with Safewill who are on a mission to make Wills affordable and easy enough for everyone to safeguard their life’s work. Their team is passionate about combining detailed legal knowledge with modern technology, to change the way that all Australians think about Will writing.
Their modern approach to Wills means that you can start, complete, and update your bespoke Will anytime, anywhere. No lawyers fees, no hidden costs, no appointments. Just smart Wills for modern life.
Click here to read more about Safewill. If you are ready to write your Will, click here to read about how it works and then you can start writing anytime you are ready.