Have You Got an Advance Care Directive?

Why It Matters
More Than You Think

Here's a question most of us never stop to answer: if you couldn't speak for yourself tomorrow, would the people you love know what you'd want?

That's where an Advance Care Directive comes in. And if you don't have one yet, this post is for you, regardless of your age.

What is an Advance Care Directive?

An Advance Care Directive is a legal document that records your wishes for your future health care, so they can be followed if you ever lose the ability to communicate them yourself. It only operates when a person no longer has decision-making capacity. It's sometimes called a "living will."

It lets you do two big things: spell out your preferences, beliefs, values and goals for your care, and formally appoint a substitute decision-maker for when you can no longer make decisions yourself.

That can include specific instructions about treatments like resuscitation, assisted ventilation, and artificial hydration and nutrition, right through to broader wishes about the quality of life you'd want.

Why bother?

Because life doesn't send a warning. It's impossible to know what will happen in the future concerning your health, and in a crisis your loved ones may find it difficult to decide what treatment is best for you.

An Advance Care Directive takes that impossible weight off them. It communicates your instructions and wishes, taking the burden of decision-making off loved ones. Instead of guessing, agonising, or arguing, the people you love get to follow a plan you made yourself. That's a gift to them as much as to you.

The question I always ask

When I sit down with someone to complete their Directive, there's one question that tends to stop people in their tracks:

Where would you like to die?

At home? Surrounded by family? Somewhere else? Most people have never been asked and never thought to say it out loud. But it's one of the most important wishes you can record, and one that's so easily missed if it isn't written down.

One important catch: every state is different

This is the bit that trips people up. Advance care directives differ between states and territories, and every state and territory in Australia has different rules, information and forms.

The legal landscape genuinely varies. For example, in Queensland only statutory Advance Care Directives are legally binding, while in NSW only common law Advance Care Directives are legally binding. So a form that works perfectly in one state may not be the right one across the border. Getting the correct form for your state, and filling it out properly, matters.

Let me help you do yours

This doesn't have to be daunting, and you don't have to do it alone. I help people work through their Advance Care Directive properly, with the right form for their state and the conversations that actually matter, including that big "where would you like to die?" question.

I can do this with you over Zoom or in person, whatever suits you best.

If you've been meaning to sort this out, this is your nudge. Reach out and let's get yours done.

Want a hand with your Advance Care Directive? Get in touch via www.rosieslighthouse.com.au and we'll find a time that works for you.