Planning Ahead for Health Care
What is Advance Care Planning?
Planning ahead for health care is called advance care planning (ACP). As the name suggests, this means planning in advance for your health care. When you start advance care planning, you think about your wishes and values. You record your thoughts about what is important. This helps prepare others if you can’t make your own decisions because of illness or injury.
Advance care planning has been around for a long time, but more recently, we are realizing that all adults should do advance care planning. Also, as life brings changes, you will need to review your plan and have new conversations.
The information and links to resources here can guide you through the planning process. It doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t need to take long.
Five Things You Should Know About Advance Care Planning
- Advance care planning is not just about death and dying. It is mostly about living, and how we cope with health challenges at any stage of life.
- Advance care planning should happen when you are young and healthy. Injury and illness can happen at any age, and usually take us by surprise. It’s hard for anyone to make good decisions during the stress of a health crisis. Advance care planning should begin when someone reaches adulthood.
- Advance care planning looks at the big picture, not just specific medical decisions. It is impossible to predict a future medical event and all the different ways it could play out. What’s most important is how decisions will support your wishes and values, so you have quality of life.
- Advance care planning starts with meaningful conversations.
The process begins with honest conversations with your family, friends, others that matter to you, and your health care team. In these talks, you will share what is important to you. The biggest questions to discuss are ‘What gives your life meaning?’ and ‘What does a good day look like?’ If you have a circle of close friends and family around you, talk to all or most of them. That way, they can support you, each other, and your decision-maker in the future - Advance care planning doesn’t need to cost anything.
You do not need a lawyer. You can complete all documents yourself, including formal documents such as a Representation Agreement. Find fill-in-the-blanks templates for legal documents in the B.C. Provincial My Voice booklet
Why do I Need to Plan in Advance?
Getting Started with Advance Care Planning
about your values, what brings your life meaning, what brings you joy, and what a good day looks like for you.
about your current health and the treatments you may face in the future.
who would speak for you if you’re unable to speak for yourself. The person will be your substitute decision-maker.
to people who matter to you about what brings your life meaning and how you would like to live.
your thoughts, such as your life goals, fears, worries, and priorities. Then share copies with people who matter to you.
Take Just One Step
Looking for one simple way to get started with advance care planning? Write or record your wishes. Then give them to your family, friends, and/or a health care team.
You don’t need to use formal language or follow a special format. Just grab a pen and paper or tap ‘record’ on your phone. This will provide a future decision-maker with guidance.
Down the road you can get help or check out more resources and make a detailed plan.
These steps don’t need to be done in order. You can start anywhere. Click here to learn more about the five steps to advance care planning. You’ll find short, helpful videos and free interactive workbooks.
Advance Care Planning by the Numbers
Between 2019 and 2021, the number of Canadians who talked to a family member about advance care planning almost doubled: from one in three (36%) to almost two in three (59%)
70% of Canadians (compared to 63% in 2019) felt comfortable having advance care planning conversations
In 2021, more than four in ten Canadians (42%) thought it was important to start planning young: up from 36% in 2019. The ideal age? Between 35 and 54
Resources
Advance Care Planning Canada
- View website
- This national organization offers:
- A workbook that you can complete online, print, or download
- A quick workbook you can use to create a bare-bones plan in two simple pages
- Videos, webinars, toolkits, articles, FAQs, a free e-newsletter, and more
- Resources for specific populations such as LGBTQ+, Indigenous and First Nations peoples, people who face inequities, and members of immigrant communities
- Information on specific medical conditions
HealthLinkBC Advance Care Planning
- This website provides a complete guide to advance care planning in B.C. with links to more information if needed
- View website
British Columbia Ministry of Health Advance Care Planning
- Has written information, videos in English, Punjabi, and Chinese, and links to further resources
- View website
Call or email the advance care planning team at your regional health authority:
- Fraser Health: Advance Care Planning
- Interior Health: Advance Care Planning
- Northern Health: Advance Care Planning
- Vancouver Coastal Health: Advance Care Planning
- Vancouver Island Health Authority: Advance Care Planning
- First Nations Health Authority: Advance Care Planning
Find your health authority HERE.
This British Columbia guide comes in various lengths and formats. Each version leads you through the process of creating an advance care plan. Some versions are available in Punjabi, simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
Shorter, simpler versions are at the top of the list and more in-depth ones are at the end. Find the one that works for you!
My Voice in Action—Easy Read
- An easy-to-read version with pictures and clear language
- In Easy Read
My Voice in Action
- An action-oriented workbook that gets right to the process
- Use it on its own or as alongside My Voice
- In English
- In Punjabi
My Voice Quick Tips
- A one-page info-sheet that guides people through the basics and offers help using the longer-form booklet
- View info-sheet
My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment
- The full-length 52-page booklet
- Use it on its own or with one of the companion booklets above
- View guide in English
- View guide in Punjabi, simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese
A workbook from Advance Care Planning Canada with two versions:
Speak Up: Advance Care Planning Quick Workbook
- A shorter version that you can use to create a bare-bones plan in two simple pages
- View workbook
Speak Up: Advance Care Planning Workbook
- Can be filled in online, downloaded as a fillable PDF, or printed and completed on paper
- View workbook
Living My Culture
- A website with videos where people from various cultures share their stories and wisdom about living with serious illness, end of life, and grief
- These stories honour culture, spirituality, and traditions while providing helpful information to guide you. Includes First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Chinese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Indian, Iranian, Italian, Pakistani, Somali voices
- View website
Fraser Valley Health Authority Advance Care Planning How-To Videos
- Learn more about advance care planning with Fraser Valley Health Authority
- Available in English, Punjabi, French, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese
- View how-to video series
Advance Care Canada Educational Videos
- A library of educational videos ranging from 30-second animations to in-depth webinars
- Watch videos
Aboriginal Health: Advance Care Planning—Respecting Indigenous Ceremonies and Rites
- A pamphlet that looks at health care choices that reflect culture
- View pamphlet
Your Care, Your Choices: Workbook for Advance Care Planning
- A resource from the First Nations Health Authority
- View resource
Coming Full Circle: Planning for Your Care
- A booklet and a fillable workbook. It was developed by a national Elders and Knowledge Carriers Circle and Holly Prince, an Anishnaabekwe scholar
- View booklet
First Nations Health Authority
- A website that has culturally specific information on advance care planning
- View website
Living My Culture
- Offers a video with stories about the intersection of culture and advanced illness, end-of-life, grief, palliative care, and advance care planning through the voices of 125 people speaking 12 languages
- Learn More
Planning for My Care
- A fillable workbook developed by and for people who identify as Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+
- View workbook
- The workbook is part of a series of resources, Proud, Prepared and Protected, which includes videos, articles, and other online resources to assist people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ to find inclusive, respectful care