The difference between Advance Care Planning and planning more generally is that the process of ACP is to make clear a person’s wishes and will usually take place in the context of an anticipated deterioration in the individual’s condition in the future, with attendant loss of capacity to make decisions and/or ability to communicate wishes to others.

This may lead to making an Advance Statement, or Advance Healthcare Directives such as an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT), a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decision, or other types of decision (such as making a Lasting Power of Attorney).

 

With the patient’s permission, all of those concerned with the patient’s care and well-being should be kept informed of any decisions which impact upon the patient’s care.

All care requires an ongoing, continuing and effective dialogue between the patient, carers, partners and relatives.

This is essential to inform general care planning, and is necessary to elicit any decisions the patient wishes to make in advance, and to check whether those decisions have changed.