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Planning ahead

Planning ahead
You may have thoughts about where you want to be cared for, how you would like to be treated if something happens to you, or what is important to you at the end of life. In the future,you could become unable to explain what you want or make these decisions for yourself. Talking about what is important to you helps make sure that people understand what you want, and can respect your wishes.
Why it is important to have the conversation
Talking about your wishes for care and treatment is important for both you and the people around you. For you, talking about your wishes can:
  1. Help you to make informed decisions in your own time by considering your options
  2. Give you control over the care and treatment you receive, whether that is tomorrow or further in the future
  3. Give you peace of mind that you have taken steps to make sure your wishes are known about, recorded and respected.
For those close to you, talking about your wishes can:
  1. Help them to feel involved in your decisions and to understand your wishes
  2. Make sure they are not left guessing what you want if doctors ask them to help make a decision about your care or treatment.

‘Advance care planning’ is the term used to describe planning ahead.  It's about the conversation between people, their families and carers and those looking after them about their future wishes and priorities for care. Advance Care planning is key to improving care for people nearing the end of life and of enabling better planning and provision of care, to help them live well and die well in the place and the manner of their choosing. It enables people to discuss and record their future health and care wishes and also to appoint someone as an advocate or surrogate, thus making the likelihood of these wishes being known and respected at the end of life.  The main goal is to clarify peoples’ wishes, needs and preferences and deliver care to meet these needs.

Advance Care Planning is a way to think ahead, to describe what’s important to you and to ensure other people know your wishes for the future. It’s about helping you to live well right to the end of your life.

Compassion in Dying logo

The Compassion in Dying website has a number of really useful resources to help guide you and help support your choices https://compassionindying.org.uk/library/

Please see a short video about what Advance Care Planning can mean to you.