Advance Care Planning
Many people find it helpful to talk about their values, goals and wishes with their care team, especially when thinking ahead about their health. This is called advance care planning. It often helps people feel more at ease and in control of their situation.
It also helps your health care team to make treatment recommendations that are in line with these wishes.
It is important to talk about this when you are doing okay so that best decisions can be made in moments of crises. It is also helpful to include your family or loved ones in this conversation. It will help prepare them to make decisions for you if you can’t make them at some point in the future.
These kinds of conversations may be difficult to initiate, but would be something a Palliative Care team can help facilitate between you, your family and the rest of your health care team.
Start the conversation
If you want to start the conversation on your own, this link will guide you through: Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa.
- What additional information about your illness and what is likely to be ahead would be helpful for you to know?
- What else do you need to know to help you make decisions about your future?
- Most people value quality of life. What does that look like for you?
- What do you worry about when thinking about your illness?
- What kinds of medical care do you not want?
- What do you think it would be like to share these thoughts with your family?
- If you haven’t already identified a health care proxy, who would be able to fill that role?
Advance Care Planning
Many people find it helpful to talk about their values, goals and wishes with their care team, especially when thinking ahead about their health. This is called advance care planning. It often helps people feel more at ease and in control of their situation.
It also helps your health care team to make treatment recommendations that are in line with these wishes.
It is important to talk about this when you are doing okay so that best decisions can be made in moments of crises. It is also helpful to include your family or loved ones in this conversation. It will help prepare them to make decisions for you if you can’t make them at some point in the future.
These kinds of conversations may be difficult to initiate, but would be something a Palliative Care team can help facilitate between you, your family and the rest of your health care team.
Start the conversation
If you want to start the conversation on your own, this link will guide you through: Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa.
- What additional information about your illness and what is likely to be ahead would be helpful for you to know?
- What else do you need to know to help you make decisions about your future?
- Most people value quality of life. What does that look like for you?
- What do you worry about when thinking about your illness?
- What kinds of medical care do you not want?
- What do you think it would be like to share these thoughts with your family?
- If you haven’t already identified a health care proxy, who would be able to fill that role?