A bit more info:
Advance Care Planning
A brief guide for patients, carers and families.
If you have filled in a Future Planning: My Wishes leaflet or if your doctor or nurse has spoken to you about Future Planning. Then, that information is stored in your electronic GP record.
This means that your information can be;
This means that your information can be;
- printed as a paper Future Care Plan.
- shared in a Local Care Record system alongside your hospital letters and results.
- seen in the National Summary Care Record. But, only by staff looking after you.
Your Future Care Plan will help your health care team to understand what is important to you when providing your care.
What are Advanced Care Plans?
Advance Care Plans were first developed for patients with End of Life conditions. However, thinking about and writing down wishes and plans for care makes sense for people with different chronic conditions, disabilities and frailty. It may be written by you alone, with help from your family & carers, or with support from an advocate or professional.
If you have no medical problems, you may still have strong views around how you would like to be cared for if you had a sudden illness, such as a stroke, heart attack or serious head injury.
Advance Care Plans can be large or small. Some may include many pages and lots of different things about you; from the food you like, to how you walk, talk and behave.
The Future Care Plan is a type of Advance Care Plan but tries to focus on the things about you that will make a difference in a medical crisis. It is a short Urgent Care Plan.
Advance Care Plans were first developed for patients with End of Life conditions. However, thinking about and writing down wishes and plans for care makes sense for people with different chronic conditions, disabilities and frailty. It may be written by you alone, with help from your family & carers, or with support from an advocate or professional.
If you have no medical problems, you may still have strong views around how you would like to be cared for if you had a sudden illness, such as a stroke, heart attack or serious head injury.
Advance Care Plans can be large or small. Some may include many pages and lots of different things about you; from the food you like, to how you walk, talk and behave.
The Future Care Plan is a type of Advance Care Plan but tries to focus on the things about you that will make a difference in a medical crisis. It is a short Urgent Care Plan.
Why should I do an ACP?
A time may come when, for whatever reason, you are unable to make a decision for yourself. This may happen to a diabetic having a "hypo", in epilepsy during a seizure or with many conditions where delirium (confusion caused by being medically unwell) can occur. At this time a clinician or family/carer, who has to make decisions for you, will be able to read your wishes and the plans written in your Future Care Plan.
An ACP is not legally binding but it can provide helpful guidance for professionals who don’t know you well (e.g. doctors or ambulance crew treating you out-of-hours).
A time may come when, for whatever reason, you are unable to make a decision for yourself. This may happen to a diabetic having a "hypo", in epilepsy during a seizure or with many conditions where delirium (confusion caused by being medically unwell) can occur. At this time a clinician or family/carer, who has to make decisions for you, will be able to read your wishes and the plans written in your Future Care Plan.
An ACP is not legally binding but it can provide helpful guidance for professionals who don’t know you well (e.g. doctors or ambulance crew treating you out-of-hours).
What should I do with my Future Care Plan?
Your paper Future Care Plan should be kept in your home.
If you ever go into hospital, because Future Planning information is shared electronically to the National Summary Care Record and Local Care Records, then doctors and other clinical staff will be able to see your information via their clinical IT systems.
Your paper Future Care Plan should be kept in your home.
If you ever go into hospital, because Future Planning information is shared electronically to the National Summary Care Record and Local Care Records, then doctors and other clinical staff will be able to see your information via their clinical IT systems.
Helpful Links
Further explanation and examples of advance care plans can be seen on these websites:
- My Living Will www.mylivingwill.org.uk
- Dying Matters: www.dyingmatters.org
- Alzheimer's Society. Dementia Guide - Planning Ahead. Alzheimer's Society
- Marie Curie - Planning your care in advance
- NHS Choices - Planning Ahead
- NHS South Central - Advance Care Planning Toolkit
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Your Form, Your PaceThinking about the future can sometimes be upsetting; it may be better to talk about just one or two questions at a time. Your GP will be able to printout a copy of your Future Planning information following a consultation. This printed Future Care Plan can be used to think about other questions. You might also use it to show to relatives and friends, helping them to get to know your wishes before any problems happen.
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Do you represent someone who lacks capacity?
If you have legal permission to represent someone who lacks mental capacity, then you may want to ensure that your wishes for their care are documented in both their medical record and a Future Care Plan. Just in case you are not around when a medical emergency occurs. The Future Planning: My Wishes leaflet can also be used for this purpose, though face to face discussion with the persons GP, specialist or community team will also be helpful.
If you have legal permission to represent someone who lacks mental capacity, then you may want to ensure that your wishes for their care are documented in both their medical record and a Future Care Plan. Just in case you are not around when a medical emergency occurs. The Future Planning: My Wishes leaflet can also be used for this purpose, though face to face discussion with the persons GP, specialist or community team will also be helpful.