Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a lifelong process of thinking and talking about the kind of health and/or personal care an individual would want if they could not speak for themselves. The process should include the people they have chosen to speak for them—their Substitute Decision Maker(s)—and may also include healthcare providers, lawyers and/or other professionals helping them with their life and care planning. During the conversations that are part of ACP, they share their values, beliefs and wishes, and make sure the people they’ve chosen to speak for them understand what matters most to them.
ACP in Canada has released a Resource Guide for Home and Community Care Providers to support healthcare professionals involved in home and community care environments across Canada. This free guide provides a map of available resources to engage home and community care providers in three target behaviours for successful Advance Care Planning:
- Facilitating early and ongoing advance care planning conversations
- Understanding patients’ care wishes
- Reflecting wishes in the care plan and legal considerations
The Guide was developed by the Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) for the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) on behalf of the ACP in Canada project, in consultation with subject matter experts from across Canada.
For more information and to download this resource, click here.
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