End of life care/Why plan ahead? If you have a terminal illness or youre approaching the end of your life, it can be a good idea to record your views, preferences and priorities about your future care. Planning ahead like this is sometimes called advance care planning. It involves thinking and talking about your wishes for how youre cared for in the final months of your life and when youre dying. This is in case theres a time in the future when youre unable to take part in the discussions and decision-making yourself. An example of planning ahead is the ReSPECT process, where you discuss your wishes and document them in a Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT). This is useful for guiding your doctors and other healthcare staff in making decisions about emergency care and treatment if you cannot take part in these decisions yourself. Why should I plan ahead? Planning ahead can help you receive the care you want, and can also help to make things easier for your partner and family when youre nearing the end of life. Some things, such as telling people you love them or making a memory box for someone to remember you by, could help your family and friends in their bereavement after you die. But you do not have to do any of these things if you do not want to. Helping your loved onesYou may sometimes think about what will happen if you become seriously ill or disabled. Would your partner or family know:
These might not be easy topics to think about but, by discussing your wishes with your family, you could be saving them from having to help doctors make difficult decisions later on without knowing what you would have wanted. For example, if your partner or relatives know you do not want to be resuscitated and its been documented in advance, it can help them understand this and make sure doctors and other health professionals looking after you know this too. Theyll all know theyre helping you get what you want or not have treatment you do not want. How can I plan ahead? Theres no set way of planning ahead, but there are some useful steps you can take. You may find it useful to think about:
Age UK has more information about planning for the future, including making advance decisions (living wills) and care plans. Emotional and practical issues As well as thinking about your future care, emotional and practical issues you might want to consider include:
You might already have strong feelings about these topics, or you may want to think about them or discuss them with your partner or family. Find ideas on how to start talking about death and dying. The Dying Matters website has a 15-minute film of Dr Kate Granger talking about her experience of living with terminal cancer and planning ahead for her care. Dr Granger died in 2016. healthtalk.org also has videos and written interviews of people talking about planning for the future. Find end of life care services near you BestCareCompare | ||||||
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