Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a series of steps you can take to help you plan for your future health care. It helps people who care for you to understand your wishes if you can no longer express them.
About this service
The Advance Care Planning Program at Canberra Health Services can help you discuss and prepare your Advance Care Plan.
An Advance Care Plan gives you the opportunity to think about, discuss and record your choices ahead of time. If you become unable to express your choices for treatment who would you want to make decisions for you? Advance Care Planning helps your doctors, family and friends to be aware of your wishes and choices.
An Advance Care Plan ONLY comes into effect if you lose legal capacity to make decisions and express your wishes and choices about your medical treatment.
Who we care for
Our service is free and available to any ACT resident over 18 years. Where children and young people under the age of 18 years are involved, please speak with your medical team.
You can contact us directly or a health professional might ask you for consent to refer you to the program.
How to access this service
Please contact the ACT Advance Care Planning Program on (02) 5124 9274 or email acp@act.gov.au for information or assistance with Advance Care Planning. The service is available from Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm.
An appointment is required to discuss and record Advance Care Plans.
Appointments can be made to attend Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital or in a community setting.
What to expect
At your appointment our team will initially discuss what Advance Care Planning is and its importance to your health care in the future.
What to bring to your appointment
Please bring to your appointment any existing or completed documents you have to your appointment. These might include Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) or a previous Advance Care Plan.
If there are concerns regarding a person’s legal decision-making capacity, we may require a letter from their GP or a health professional directly involved in their medical care.
Where we’re located
Our Advance Care Planning service is available at the following locations:
- Canberra Hospital
- University of Canberra hospital
- North Canberra Hospital
- community settings
- Online or phone services.
Resources
Advance Care Planning Australia
Healthcare Consumers Association ACT
Questions & Answers
Why is Advance Care Planning important?
Up to 50% of Australians will not be able to make or express their own decisions when they are near death. Doctors and family members will be unaware of any treatment preferences at this time if wishes have not been discussed and/or recorded earlier.
Often, families are unaware of their loved one’s views about what they would want, if they become too ill to speak for themselves. Families often feel burdened by the concern that they will make a wrong choice.
If there is not a clear statement of a person’s wishes, doctors must treat in the most appropriate way. This may mean aggressive treatments you might not have wanted.
What documents do I need?
There are several ways you can record your choices:
- Enduring Power of Attorney
- Advance Care Plan (Competent Person)
- Advance Care Plan (No Legal Decision Making Capacity)
- Health Direction
The Enduring Power of Attorney and Health Direction are both legal documents.
The Advance Care Plan is used as a supporting document. It provides additional information about your specific wishes regarding healthcare decisions.
Where do I register the documents?
While your documents are not required to be registered, it is important that they are kept in a safe place with other important documents.
You are also encouraged to have a copy attached to your medical record at Canberra Health Services.
Private hospitals will usually ask for your documents on admission.
It is important that you upload your documents to MyDHR – the online patient portal that gives you access to your own ACT public health information held on the Digital Health Record (DHR). If you are unable to upload your documents, email or send copies of your documents to:
Canberra Health Services - Health Information Services
PO Box 11
Woden ACT 2606
Or email to: CHS.CPFScanning@act.gov.au
Your documents can also be uploaded to your My Health Record (a national digital summary of health information managed by the Commonwealth Government's Australian Digital Health Agency) so these can be accessed anywhere across Australia. You may also like to give a copy to your GP and your attorney/s.
You can contact the Advance Care Planning program to discuss how you can attach a scanned copy to your medical record.
Who can help me complete my documents?
Trained Advance Care Planning facilitators can assist you with having the conversation with your family/friends and completing the documents. Please contact the program if you would like to speak or organise an appointment with a trained facilitator.
If you have been diagnosed with a life limiting illness and/or chronic condition you may wish to discuss Advance Care Planning with your own GP. Your GP knows you and understands your illness and the likely treatments and illness path over time. This information will assist you in completing your Advance Care Plan.
How do I change or revoke my documents?
There are many reasons why you might want to change or revoke your documents. Your relationship with your attorney/s may change; the person you appointed is no longer appropriate for the role and/or your medical.