What types of invasive medical procedures do you consider to be undesirable?

If you had multiple physical problems, at what point, would you want the doctors to stop trying to prolong your life?

 Are you a religious or spiritual person, what are your values and beliefs?

When your time eventually comes, what would constitute a "good death" for you?

Most people never speak about these issues. An Advanced Care Directive is a written record of your discussion about these types of issues with your Person Responsible.   It can only be written  when you have capacity to do so, but can be changed or updated as often as you like, until you become so sick that you do not have the capacity to change it.

You do not need to see a lawyer to write an advance care directive.

It is a good idea to show your GP your advance care directive,  as your GP is the best person to help you write an advance care directive that makes sense from a medical standpoint.

An advance care directive is a record of your discussion with your person responsible. It can be written on anything, and there is no need to use a specific form. However, many people find it easier to use a form. Click here to download a form that we have designed, but feel free to use any form, or to write it on a blank piece of paper.

Your Advanced Care Directive would only be used if you were so sick that you were unable to participate in decisions about your own health care.

Advanced care directives should describe a certain situation and followed by a certain type of treatment. For example "if I have permanently lost the ability to feed myself, I do not want to be fed through tube." or if I have lost the ability to recognize my family, I would not want to have cardiac resuscitation if my heart stopped.

You cannot demand a line of treatment that would not be reasonably offered to a person in your circumstance. The Advance Care Directive is only used when there are two reasonable choices, but you are unable to participate in the decision.

It is also fine to ask for more treatment. For example, if I am still able to enjoy my music,  I would like all treatments that do not involve significant discomfort to extend my life.

If an important medical decision needs to be made that you can not participate in, your family's opinion, and your doctor's opinion, will also be taken into account.

An Advance Care Directive allows you to be treated as an individual.

Click here to open a fact sheet about Advance Care Directives.

Click here to open a sample form for an Advance Care Directive.

Visit the Respecting Patient Choices Web Site

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