Advance Care Planning
National Advance Care Planning Week 2026 in Australia runs from 16–22 March, focusing on empowering individuals to plan and communicate their future healthcare preferences.
Advance Care Planning is the process for planning for future health and personal care. It allows for the individual’s values and preferences to be known to help with the decision-making process, in the event that the individual is unable to communicate or make decisions in relation to their health.
It ensures that an individual’s voice is heard. It helps consider an individual’s values and what matters most in their lives. It also helps consider whom would make the decisions on your behalf, if you could no longer. Advance Care Planning enables greater control over your care and provides clear guidance on what you want. It helps health professionals have clear guidance on your preferences.
Who Should Consider Advance Care Planning?
Essentially, everyone should consider an Advance Care Plan regardless of age and health status. It’s helpful to start whilst you are healthy, if urgent decisions need to be made.
Priority groups can include older people, those with chronic illness or complex illness, people with early stages of cognitive impairment, or people that have a life limiting illness. Priority groups also include those who have spiritual, religious or cultural requirements. If you are concerned that your voice will not be heard, or people will not respect your choices / decisions, it is strongly recommended that you consider formalising your plan.
What is an Advance Care Directive?
It’s a legal document whereby you can record your values and preferences for care. It includes an instructional directive, whereby it instructs your health professionals about which treatments you would consent to, and which ones you would refuse. It can be changed at any time. It only comes into effect if the person does not have decision making capacity.
What is a Medical Treatment Decision Maker?
A Medical Treatment Decision Makers is a person who is in charge of your medical treatment, in the event that you do not have capacity to do so. A Medical Treatment Decision maker may be appointed by you, and they are identified as the default decision maker through legislation. It is important that they are aware of your wishes, are willing and able to make decision on your behalf and can advocate to health professionals regarding your health treatment.
How to get started?
- Use an Advance Care Directive to record your health wishes
- Appoint one or more medical treatment decision-makers to make decisions on your behalf
- If you want to make changes to your Advance Care Directive, you’ll need to cancel it and create a new one
- You can fill in a form to change your medical treatment decision-maker
Helpful Resources
For information and documents to help you record your choices for future health care.