A good first step in advance care planning is to think about your values and wishes — how you’d like your medical care to be handled should you become unable to make these decisions or communicate them in the future.
Some things you may want to think about include:
- Whether you’d want to preserve quality of life over life-sustaining treatments
- Whether you want to prolong life as long as possible with available interventions
- Whether you’d like to donate organs or contribute to medical research
- Any important events you’d like to reach or tasks you want to finish
- How your faith or spirituality are reflected and honored at the end of life
There are no right or wrong answers. Values and goals are different for everyone, depending on their life experiences and beliefs.
As you reflect on your wishes, you may want to include your family, caretakers, or other loved ones. You can start this conversation on your own, or you can ask to meet with a healthcare provider who can guide the discussion. Think about where you would feel most comfortable — your living room versus an exam room with your doctor, for example.
“Once a person views end-of-life care planning as a gift to themselves and their family, their remaining journey can truly be transformed from anxiety to peace of mind,” says Jeffrey Paparone, chaplain at City of Hope Cancer Center Phoenix in Goodyear, Arizona.
In these conversations, you can also include plans for support at home, Joseph says. This could mean lining up caregivers you’re comfortable with and making plans to give your caregivers plenty of support themselves.
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