Advance care planning

Advance Care Plans (ACPs) are usually discussed and made together with your healthcare team but you can do one alone or with people important to you. An ACP is different to an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT), or Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare as it can be made at any time and is not legally binding. It does, however, inform family members and healthcare professionals what matters most to you, your wishes and concerns. If you chose to complete an ACP you should inform healthcare professionals involved in your care and discuss your future care wishes with your family so they also know what’s important to you.

You can include anything that matters most to you within your ACP including things like where you would like to be cared for and your preferred place of care, who you would like with you, religious or spiritual beliefs, personal preferences such as music and pets, your values and what your wishes are when approaching the end of life. Some people require help when filling in an ACP and healthcare professionals involved in your care can support you to do this but you can also complete an ACP yourself. You can write your own or use an existing document, we have examples of these below that can be downloaded and printed at home. Once you have completed one you should keep a copy for yourself, give one to people involved in your care and inform those who are important to you what your document contains and where it is kept. You can make changes to your ACP any time and it’s important to review it on a regular basis so that it reflects your current wishes. If you require further support on advance care planning, please contact our telephone advice and support line.

Planning for your future care information leaflet (Dudley NHS Foundation Trust): http://www.dgft.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Planning-for-your-future-care_patient-leaflet.pdf

Planning for your future care document (Dudley NHS Foundation Trust): http://www.dgft.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Planning-for-your-future-care_ACP-document.pdf

NICE Guidelines: https://www.nice.org.uk/about/nice-communities/social-care/quick-guides/advance-care-planning

Advance care planning guidance for people with a learning disability and family carers: https://www.pcpld.org/wp-content/uploads/ACP-Guidance-for-Coronavirus-and-Learning-Disabilities-.pdf

All about Dudley – Tips on how to listen to those who want to talk about dying: https://www.allaboutdudley.info/dying-matters/

Advance Care Planning – Dying to be Heard by Dudley Public Health and Knowledge Services: https://www.allaboutdudley.info/dying-matters/