It’s something none of us like to think about — but what if a medical emergency or condition meant you couldn’t communicate your healthcare wishes?

That’s where advance care planning comes in. It allows you to communicate your healthcare preferences ahead of time, so they’re known if you’re ever unable to speak for yourself.

What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning is all about the people close to you knowing your wishes, in case, for some reason, you are unable to participate in the discussions.

While 70% of Australians wish to die at home, only 14% do so. This reveals serious gaps in our ability to respond to the wishes of the ill or impaired.

An advance care plan gives you the best chance of receiving the medical care you want, in the way you choose.

Advance care plans can be made by anyone over the age of 18. However, developing an advanced care plan is especially important for those of an advanced age, who have a chronic medical condition or are a palliative care patient.

Steps involved in Advance Care Planning

It is recommended that you take several steps to prepare yourself in the event you are unable to make decisions for yourself.
These include:
• Thinking about your future wishes for care
• Having a conversation about it with those close to you.
• Consider appointing a loved one to be your medical treatment decision maker.
• Write down your wishes in an advance care directive.
• Give your advance care directive to others
• Review it regularly when your situation changes.

Writing your wishes in an advance care directive

An advance care directive is used to record your wishes for future medical care. Advanced care directives are legal documents which must be considered by health professionals and your medical treatment decision-maker. Advanced Care Directives are often made up of the following elements:
• Values directives: These are general statements about your wishes. They are used to guide future decisions relating to your healthcare.
• Instructional directives: These are used to provide or withdraw consent to a specific medical procedure in the event you can’t make the decision. For example, you might refuse CPR in any circumstance OR you might consent to a heart bypass under certain circumstances.

Tips for writing an advance care directive

• Be brave: Start developing an advance care directive early, even if it involves challenging conversations with family and friends.
• Ask questions: If you don’t know the answer to something, don’t be afraid to ask a medical expert.
• Give a copy to others: An advance care directive is of limited use if no-one but you has a copy of it. Provide a copy of your advanced care directive to your medical treatment decision maker, your doctor, your family and any hospitals you regularly use.
• Review regularly: It’s important to regularly review your advance care directive regularly as your circumstances change. For example, you might review it if you are admitted to hospital for an extended period or your health has become unstable.

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Article References

Advanced Care Planning Australia (n.d) ‘Understand advance care planning’, Advanced Care Planning Australia, accessed 13 May 2025.

Better Health Channel (n.d) ‘Advance care plans’, Better Health Channel, accessed 13 May 2025.

Clarke, A (12 May 2025) ‘Palliative Care Week calls for honest conversations about end-of-life wishes’, Inside Ageing, accessed 13 May 2025.