advance care planning
what IS AN ADVANCE CARE PLAN?
An Advance Care Plan (ACP) is a living, and evolving life plan that an individual creates for themselves that gives consideration to their wishes, their voice and their hopes in the event that it is needed. An Advance Care Plan takes into consideration who you are, what your values are, and what your beliefs are - about everything, not solely religious or spiritual beliefs. Reflecting on who you are affects each of the pieces that help form your wholistic Advance Care Plan.
An Advance Care Plan differs from a will simply: a will goes into effect when a person dies. An Advance Care Plan is a growing and changing plan based on your living, and the needs that come with that.
who needs an advance care plan?
A number of years ago during an intense, and emotional training session, our guest speaker made a statement that I still think of as profound, and one that I have never forgotten.
She said: “Every person over the age of 18* should have an Advance Care Plan.”
Profound to me because in that one statement, a raw image of how unpredictable life is, hit me. In that moment, I realized how unprepared I was in the event of … Most of us are unprepared because it’s often easier to ignore things that make us uncomfortable or fearful or overwhelmed. I saw how the idea of control allows us to believe we have control. And in so doing, create disharmony in our living world.
Are you single or do you have a partner? Each has its own implications on the decisions that you make.
Do you have dependents? Whether you have minor children, or are caring for older dependents, what impact does your life have on them?
If you don’t have an Advance Care Plan, are your supports clear enough and strong enough to step in?
Do you travel? Have you ever been away from home and wondered what would happen should something happen to you in your away destination? Who will step in and what will that look like?
What does an advance care plan include?
As mentioned, an Advance Care Plan is all about you. Your plan may be different from others because of your needs. Perhaps you are in the beginning stages of crafting your plan and need time to pull the pieces together. And, if you’re still in the overwhelm phase, Module One, The Primer is just for you!
Overall, however, an Advance Care Plan does (or can) include:
Self-reflection - this guides almost everything else in your plan including end of life care. This self-reflection gives you the opportunity to ask questions and become informed. Knowledge is key to a successful plan.
Thoughtful consideration of any dependents and what will be necessary.
The Document Repository - having relevant documents in one place whether you need them to hand, or someone else needs them on your behalf.
Identifying your Power of Attorney for Personal Care (SDM)
Wills and Estate planning - this is an important part of your Advance Care Plan**
Advance Directives - advance directives are usually around health care and medical issues.***
End of Life plan
After death wishes (funerary or cremation)
** Wills and Estate Planning are an important aspect of the overall Advance Care Plan. During Module One, there will be some discussion about these. However, I am not a legal professional, and encourage individuals to seek out appropriate professionals in these fields.
*** The Advance Directives mentioned here are not Advance Requests as pertains to medical assistance in dying. Advance Requests for MAiD are not available in Canada at this time.
And lastly, an ADVANCE CARE PLAN can be a gift during times when emotions can make decision-making difficult.
No matter how old you are, no matter your marital status, no matter where you work, or socio-economics, an Advance Care Plan helps to ensure that your voice is part of health and treatment discussions when you cannot communicate for yourself. When necessary, it helps those left behind to properly manage your material affairs.
* Note: This document is based on information for the province of Ontario regarding powers of attorney for personal care (substitute decision making), advance care planning and Age of Majority. As each province and territory has their own regulations and laws, please check your provincial and territorial laws and requirements. I am not a legal professional, nor a medical professional. None of the information contained in this website should be construed as replacing medical or legal advice.
PRICING
Advance Care Planning modules can be taken individually, or as part of a package.
All sessions are held on-line.
In person sessions are available at an additional cost.
All sessions require pre-payment via e-transfer.
MODULE ONE - THE PRIMER
MODULE TWO - PLANNING FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL TREATMENT
This Advance Care Plan session is The Primer that puts clients on the path to creating an Advance Care Plan. During this session, we will talk about advance care planning in general, and determine how extensive a plan is desired by the individual. An important part of this beginning session is to have clients explore what is important to them, the values that shape their decisions and what their wishes would be. This initial session provides tools for clients to create a repository of information and documents - documents that will be easily accessible to not only themselves in times of need, but of family and/or their Power of Attorney for Personal Care in the event of a medical emergency or unexpected death. I will provide checklists and forms (in PDF format) that clients can use during and after our call to consider and complete, further building their Advance Care Plan Document Repository.
The beginning can be an overwhelming, emotional and taxing exercise. Let’s be gentle together.
This session is one and one half hours long, and costs $140.00
In Module Two, we will speak about Advance Directives, Powers of Attorney for Personal Care, possible health and medical situations, and explore some of the hard questions around health and medical decisions. Clients will come away with a better understanding of how powerful their voice is and how to make an Advance Care Plan that works as best it can for them. I will provide checklists and forms (in PDF format) for the client’s use.
This session assumes that clients have an understanding of the goals of an Advance Care Plan.
This session is one and one half hours long, and costs $140.00
MODULE THREE - PLANNING END OF LIFE
This session is usually (but not necessarily) attended by those who foresee their death and want the environment of their dying to be unique to them.
In this private session, individuals speak about the quality of their dying and what would bring them additional peace and ease as that time approaches. We look at their physical and mental environments and what would be helpful or what is detrimental. Who are those that will be in attendance over the course of weeks, days or hours? Is there music or silence? Are their scents or scenes? Who is part of their inter-disciplinary team?
We will also discuss after death care and body disposition, religious or spiritual services, or non-services, and after death wishes. I provide clients with documents created for this specific planning. Planning one’s end of life is an emotional time for many, yet it can also be rewarding.
This session does not require any other modules. It is suggested, however, that individuals have a Document Repository.
This is a one and a half hour session and costs $175.00
"Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you can not bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond that pain.”
Kahlil Gibran