Introduction

Making personal choices is basic to a person's sense of identity and well being. This is especially true of decisions about personal care including health care (treatment and services), food, living arrangements and housing, clothing, hygiene and safety.

Every year, many Canadians become unable to make their own decisions about their personal care and medical treatments. It can happen slowly, over time, as with Alzheimer Disease; or it can happen suddenly, without warning, through a stroke or accident.

If an illness or accident left you unable to make decisions for yourself about things that really matter to you, who would make those decisions for you? How could they know what you would or wouldn't prefer?

It's important to take steps now, while you are capable, to ensure your wishes, not someone else's, guide the decisions made for your care and medical treatment if you ever become unable to make such decisions yourself. This is what advance care planning is about: Making clear how you wish to be cared for, and giving someone you trust the authority to act on those wishes for you, if the need arises.

This booklet encourages people to talk about their care wishes with their families and those who will make decisions for them in the future, in the event they are unable to make decisions themselves. It explains step-by-step what you need to do to begin your process of advance care planning and provides answers to some frequently asked questions. Included are options available to help you take the steps NOW that are right for you.

• Introduction
• Why Do Advance Care Planning
• Making Personal Care Choices
• Communicating Your Choices
• When Advance Care Choices Take Effect
• Choosing Your Substitute Decision-Maker
• How to Give Your Substitute Decision-Maker Power to Act for You
• Carrying Out Your Care Choices
• If You Don't Appoint a Substitute Decision-Maker
• Steps in Advance Care Planning
• Your Substitute Decision-Maker Wallet Card
• Where to Get More Information
• Summary of Steps in Advance Care Planning
• Alphabetical Listing of Contacts

Personal Stories

At age 75, Henry has developed Alzheimer Disease. He can still make decisions on his own so he and his wife, Ann, have begun to talk about his wishes and plan for his future care. As a result, Henry feels comfortable that Ann knows what is important to him, and Ann feels better able to make the right care decisions for Henry when the time comes.

Claudette is in good health in her 60s but she has firm views on the kind of medical care she would want if, for example, she had a sudden stroke. Her daughter, Lise, lives far away, so Claudette's good friend, Johanne, has agreed to make care decisions for Claudette if her decision-making ability is ever affected. Claudette has talked over her future care wishes with both Johanne and Lise to make sure they understand what matters most to her, and has given Johanne authority to act for her through a Power of Attorney for Personal Care.