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Your Advance Care Directive wishes are not set in stone; you can change your Directive at any time while you have decision-making capacity.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
Change is inevitable and constant, and so too is the possibility of you changing your future health care wishes set out in your Advance Care Directive.
What is an Advance Care Directive?
As mentioned in prior blogs[1], along with every Australian over 18 years of age, you are encouraged to plan your medical care in advance in the event that you may no longer be able to make or communicate your own decisions.
For example, today, while you have decision-making capacity, you may hold the view that should you have a terminal illness in the future, you don’t want to be kept on life support. Or, you may want all available treatment, even if that treatment has debilitating side-effects.
These wishes should be documented in the event you lose decision-making capacity. This does not involve a visit to your solicitor. Simply:
1. Complete the Advance Care Directive form[2] provided by your State or Territory Government[3];
2. Upload your completed form to your My Health Record[4]; and
3. Provide a copy to your doctor, any substitute decision-maker nominated by you in your form, and those close to you.
Change of mind
You can change or make void your Advance Care Directive at any time while you have decision-making capacity.
Certainly, it is a good idea to review your Advance Care Directive once a year to make sure it is still current. This review may cause you to make changes. For example, the person you have nominated as your substitute decision-maker may have died or perhaps they have permanently moved overseas.
If you change your Advance Care Directive, make sure you delete the original copy uploaded to your My Health Record and ensure that those people who hold that copy destroy it. Then upload your replacement Advance Care Directive to your My Health Record and distribute it to those people who should know your wishes.
Remember – an Advance Care Directive is only used if you lose decision-making capacity
If you have no problems communicating and can make your own health decisions, your Advance Care Directive will not be used. Your doctors will talk to you about your health care choices.
Doctors will only refer to your Advance Care Directive if you can no longer communicate or make decisions. For example, if you have a stroke or serious accident, or become unconscious, or if you develop dementia. Illnesses, such as cancer, may mean the medication you take or the pain you have leaves you unable to communicate.
If you lose decision-making capacity, your Advance Care Directive must be followed
Doctors, health professions and family members have no authority to override what you have set out in your Advance Care Directive, provided that your Advance Care Directive is completed correctly, and it is a valid legal document.
Additional Life Planning Resources
While by no means a substitute for an Advance Care Directive, which I encourage everyone over the age of 18 to have, we also offer the following free resources for end of life planning. Fill out the form(s) below and we'll send your resource to your email address:
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End-Of-Life Planning Checklist: Go through a list of tasks to prepare for an end of life.
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Life Ready Register™: Record all your important information in the one place.
Need help caring for a loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
Resources
[1] DR Care Solutions: Advance Care Planning Week - Let your Care Preferences Be Known
[2] Note: Your State or Territory Government may have a different name for the form. For example, in Queensland it is called an Advance Health Directive, in NSW an Advance Care Directive, and in the ACT a Health Direction.
[3] Advance Care Planning Australia: Create Your Plan
[4] Digital Health: Advance Care Planning
