The start of a new year is a good time to start advance care planning, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
“Advance care planning is a way to help you think about, talk about and document your wishes for health care,” states an AHS release. “It’s a process that can help you make health-care decisions now and for the future.”
Sharing health-care desires with loved ones and your health-care team ensure your wishes are known should there come a time when you are unable to speak for yourself, according to AHS.
Additionally, advance care planning may bring comfort and peace of mind to you, your family and those who may have to make health-care decisions on your behalf.
So where do you begin? AHS suggests to start by looking at your values, wishes and goals for health care, and think about what is important to you.
Identify beliefs that influence your health-care wishes and determine if there are conditions under which you do or do not want a certain treatment.
Think about where you would want to be cared for and consider your personal experiences with loved ones whose health-care decisions had to be made by someone else.
If you are considering organ and/or tissue donation, ensure your loved ones know where you stand on this.
AHS recommends obtaining and completing a Green Sleeve – a plastic pocket that holds your advance care planning forms.
“Think of it like a medical passport,” the release stated. “It holds important legal forms that go with you through the health-care system.”
In an emergency, Alberta Health Services medical providers can look at your Green Sleeve and know your health-care wishes.
“The Green Sleeve belongs to you and should only have the most up-to-date forms inside,” AHS stated.
You can get a Green Sleeve from any Alberta Health Services provider, including your family doctor. You can also order up to four free online by emailing, [email protected]
