Importance of Advance Care Directive

An advance care directive is sometimes known as a living Will.

The directive is a formalised version of your advance care plan. It outlines your preferences for your future care along with your beliefs, values, and goals. Having an advance care directive means you can also formally appoint a substitute decision-maker for when you can no longer make decisions yourself.

Why is Advance Care Planning Important?

Whatever our age may be, we all have values and preferences related to health and personal care. It is important to think about these values and preferences, discuss them and write them down in an Advance Care Directive so that your preferences are understood and respected if you were in a situation where you were unable to communicate them yourself.

Advance care planning is particularly important for people who are older and are frail, or people who have a chronic illness, multiple diseases, an early cognitive impairment, or are approaching their end of life.

Advance care planning involves:

• appointing a substitute decision-maker
• completing an Advance Care Directive.

Remember that an Advance Care Directive only goes into effect if you are unable make decisions for yourself. If that time ever comes, your Advance Care Directive will guide your loved ones and doctors so that they can make decisions that respect your values and preferences.

What are the Benefits of Advance Care Directive?

Advance care directive benefits everyone including the person, their family, carers, health professionals and associated organisations.

• It helps to ensure people receive the care they actually want.
• It improves ongoing and end-of-life care, along with personal and family satisfaction.
• Families of people who have an advance care plan have less anxiety, depression, stress and are more satisfied with care.
• For healthcare professionals and organisations, it reduces unnecessary transfers to acute care and unwanted treatment.

If you would like to prepare an advanced care directive, Straits Lawyers are now offering an online package for Advance Care Directives and Wills. Simply purchase our package via this link: https://straits-lawyers.square.site/product/will-and-advance-care-directive-package-/13

Alternatively, you can email us at info@straitslawyers.com or call at 08 8410 9069 to find out more.

Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice and Straits Lawyers will not be legally responsible for any actions you take based on this article.