By Kristie Wiedenfeld, NM
During my time working in LTC operations as a Nutrition Manager, I attended hundreds of admission and annual care conferences. One thing stood out to me at these meetings: the values and wishes for the residents’ health and personal care were not always known. This made it difficult to provide personalized care if the resident was unable to speak for themselves. How could this be avoided? By going through a process of reflection and conversation called Advance Care Planning.
But Advance Care Planning, or ACP, isn’t just for seniors or those in a care setting. It’s for you and me as well. What if you were in an accident and couldn’t speak for yourself, and a decision had to be made about your care? Who would share your values and wishes with the healthcare professionals at the hospital?
ACP can be done in 6 easy steps, and it can be changed at any time:
The first step is to THINK about your values and wishes. What is your understanding of end-of-life care and specific medical procedures?
The second step is to LEARN about specific medical procedures and how they would impact your care. Some procedures can improve your quality of life and other others may prolong it.
The third step is to CHOOSE your substitute decision-maker, someone who will honour and follow your wishes should you be unable to speak for yourself.
The fourth step is to TALK about your values and wishes to your substitute decision-maker, family, and friends. You can also tell your healthcare team.
The fifth step is to RECORD your wishes, either on paper or by video, and share it with those you talked to in the fourth step.
Lastly, be sure to REVIEW your plan regularly to make sure it reflects your current wishes. It may change over time.
Remember, ACP is the way to make sure that you receive the care you want and deserve at the end of your life. It’s a planning tool, just like a will or power of attorney, but does not take the place of either. I encourage you to open up the conversation with your loved ones and start writing your own plan. Let’s care for one another.
To complete your own Advance Care Plan, check out: www.advancecareplanning.ca/my-plan
About the author: Kristie worked as a Nutrition Manager for over 20 years exclusively in LTC. She is passionate about advocating for end-of-life care that is informed by ACP. Currently, she works for Sysco as an Account Executive at Healthcare & Senior Living.