Make sure that your or your loved one’s end-of-life preferences are honored with advanced care planning. While this process may not be easy, it’s incredibly important, and our dedicated care team at Inspire Hospice understands this.
What is Advanced Care Planning
Nobody likes to think about their end-of-life, but doing so is crucial for preparing yourself and your loved ones so that when the time comes, the responsibility of making tough care choices during an already difficult time does not fall on your family.
Advanced care planning (ACP) is a process designed for patients and families making end-of-life plans. This will include treatment preferences. For example, you’ll specify whether you want treatments like Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), artificial nutrition, or be put onto mechanical ventilation.
The Advantages of Advanced Care Planning
While planning for your end of life can be daunting for you and your family, it does come with some advantages:
- Ensuring your medical preferences and values are respected
- Peace of mind that your medical decisions are already made if you have lost mental capacity
- Prevents your loved ones from having to make difficult decisions on your behalf during emergencies or other stressful scenarios
It is recommended that you start ACP as soon as you can while your health is still stable.
ACP: A Three-Step Process
Advanced care planning can be completed in three steps:
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Think
Take time to consider your end-of-life care preferences, including your goals, potential outcomes, and medical treatment choices. Choose a trusted individual to serve as your healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney to ensure your wishes are honored if you are unable to make decisions yourself.
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Discuss
Talk with your family about your preferences and explain the reasoning behind your decisions. While these conversations may be difficult, they can help your loved ones better understand and respect your wishes.
You should also discuss your medical decisions with your healthcare provider. They can explain the potential implications of your choices and offer guidance that aligns with your values and goals of care.
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Document
Record your decisions in the appropriate advance care planning documents. Share copies with your healthcare proxy, medical power of attorney, family members, and healthcare providers so everyone involved understands and can follow your wishes.
Two vital documents your advanced care planning should include are an advanced directive and a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. Your advanced directive will outline your wishes regarding your healthcare and will name your healthcare proxy. A POLST form will also outline your medical preferences but will include specific instructions that healthcare providers must follow.
Advanced Care Planning at Inspire Hospice
At Inspire Hospice, we understand that planning for end-of-life care can be difficult for patients and their families. Our dedicated team of physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, and chaplains can help patients make informed decisions about treatment and what kind of care they wish to receive.
Contact our team at (404) 921-3341 to learn how we can help and why we’re the gold standard in end-of-life care.