What matters most for your future care? - English - HE3315

tō tātou reo | advance care planning

This brochure:

• explains what advance care planning is and why it is important for everyone
• outlines some of the benefits of planning for your end-of-life care and treatment
• tells you what to do to create your advance care plan.

   

What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning gives everyone a chance to think about what’s important.

It helps you and your whānau understand what the future might hold and to say what health care you would, or would not, want.

Advance care planning helps you, the important people in your life and your health care team plan for your end-of-life care.

This makes it much easier for everyone to know what you want – especially if you can no longer speak for yourself.

Advance care planning can be done a step at a time at your own pace.

Follow the steps in the next section to get started.

STEP 1
Think about it

• What is important to you and your whānau? What gives your life meaning?
• Are there any treatments or types of care that you would or would not want?
• Who would you want to make decisions on your behalf if you weren’t able to? Do you have an enduring power of attorney*?
• If there was a choice, how and where would you like to spend your last days?

STEP 2
Talk about it

Who would it be good to share your thoughts with?

• Your whānau?
• Your friends and loved ones?
• Your GP, practice nurse, hospital specialists and health care team?
• Your spiritual advisor?
• Your enduring power of attorney*?

STEP 3
Write it down

Write down what’s important to you, what treatments you may or may not want and anything else you want others to be clear about.

If you were ever unable to make decisions for yourself, having your wishes written down would help your whānau and healthcare team make the decisions you would want.

There’s a guide you can use to write down your wishes. Ask your health care team for a copy or go to Advance care planning

STEP 4
Share it

Once you have written down what’s important to you and what you want to happen, give a copy to:

• your whānau
• your GP practice
• all members of your health care team

your enduring power of attorney* (if you have one).

STEP 5
Review it 

Review your advance care plan regularly to make sure nothing has changed for you and your whānau. If things change, update your plan and share it.

*Enduring power of attorney for care and welfare: for further information please go to Office for Seniors | Te Tari Kaumātua visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau or talk to a lawyer.

A gift for the important people in your life

My mum gave me a very loving and wise gift – she sat with my sister and me, and talked about what treatment she would want if she became very ill and unable to make her own decisions.

She carefully explained why she felt that way.

Within a few years, she was too ill to understand her health care or make any decisions herself.

Thankfully, we had clear guidance from her. This helped us speak for her and help the medical team make the treatment decisions we know mum would have chosen herself, if she could.

Want to know more?

For more information about advance care planning, visit Advance care planning or email acp@tewhatuora.govt.nz

Talk to your GP, practice nurse, specialist or health care team about the medical choices you might have in the future.

Ask for a copy of the advance care planning guide. The guide is also available online at Advance care planning

We welcome your feedback about this brochure: email acp@tewhatuora.govt.nz

© Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora 2024