Anyone, regardless of their age or state of health, should consider doing advance care planning. But, it is particularly important for people who have an ongoing medical problem.
An advance health care plan has the following benefits:
- Future end of life care and medical decisions will better reflect your wishes.
- It will help you raise sensitive issues about future care with your loved ones.
- People making decisions on your behalf will be clear about your wishes.
- It will reduce stress and the likelihood of confusion and conflict at a difficult time.
How to Create an Advance Health Care Plan?
eziFunerals Advance Care Planning service provides you with an easy, simple and convenient way to plan your end of life health care, from the comfort of your own home, for just $9.50. Simply follow these steps:
1. Go to www.ezifunerals.com.au
2. Register as a new Funeral Consumer, or Simply create a FREE account.
3. Once your account is created, select the ‘Create A Health Care Plan’ option and follow the steps provided.
4. Click the button on the right side “CREATE HEALTH CARE PLAN”
5. Fill out the form for “My Personal Details,” “My Health Care Guardian,” and “My Responsible Persons.”
6. Once you’ve filled out the form, click the next button to move forward in the process. Finally, click “Save My Plan” to complete the process.
GET STARTED
“Details of Person Making Advance Care Plan” allows you to record:
- your personal details
- appoint person/s to be your Health Care Guardian and to make decisions on your behalf.
- list of responsible persons who you have shared and have a copy of your plan.
“My Personal Values About Dying” allows you to record:
- a statement of your values and beliefs about dying and your health care and medical wishes in the event you are unable to speak for yourself.
- how you would like your pain and comfort managed
- what treatments you would like given or not given.
- how you would like to be cared for at the end of your life.
“Directions About Medical Care” allows you to record:
- specific directions about your health care and medical treatment including cardio pulmonary resuscitation and other medical treatments.
“Specific Requests About Organ And Tissue Donation” allows you to record:
- specific requests about organ and tissue donation following your death.
- specific requests about ante-mortem treatment for organ donation (immediately before your death).
“Authorisation” allows you to record:
- confirmation of your Advance Health Care Plan wishes.
- details of witness and treating health professional.
3. Once your plan is complete you can download it as a PDF as an important record of your wishes.
eziFunerals Advance Health Care Plans can help your family
It is only used if you are unable to make or communicate your own end of life health care and medical decisions. It would then guide the decision making of your doctor, your Guardian and your family.
eziFunerals helps you choose your Advance Health Care Guardian?
The person you choose should be someone you trust, who will listen carefully to your beliefs, values, goals and wishes for future medical care, and will faithfully represent you. Your Health Care Guardian is expected to act in your best interests, making the same decisions they believe you would have made for yourself.
Is My Advance Health Care Plan a legal document?
No. An Advance Health Care Plan is not a legal document and will not necessarily be followed. You don’t have to sign an advanced health care plan, but your signature makes it clear that it is your wishes that have been written down.
If you require your end of life care and medical treatment to be followed as a legal document, then you should complete an Advance Health Directive and/or appoint an Enduring Power of Guardianship. Please contact your hospital/health care agency in your state or speak to your Doctor for more information about an Advance Health Directive.
Start a conversation with your family today?
Talk to your family, your doctors and to those most likely to be involved in making decisions if you are very ill. In many hospitals there are people who can help you to discuss these issues with your family and doctor.
Note: You have the final say in who sees it. Keep it somewhere safe, and tell people where it is in case they need to find it in the future. You can keep a copy in your medical notes. We’ll store a copy in your eziFunerals account and you can even upload a copy in your My Health Record.
Can I upload My Advance Health Care Plan to ‘My Health Record’?
Did you know you can upload an eziFunerals Advance Care Plan to your My Health Record? This will help make your treating doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers aware that you have specific wishes about your future medical treatments or care given to you. If you do not have a My Health Record, find out how to register here.
What happens if I don’t have an Advance Health Care Plan?
If you become unwell and cannot communicate for yourself, doctors will treat you with any treatment that they believe is likely to be of benefit to you. For some people, this means that they would receive treatment that they would not want. If you feel strongly about certain types of treatments that you would not want to receive, then an eziFunerals Advance Health Care Plan is a good way to communicate those wishes.
About eziFunerals
eziFunerals supports individuals and families cope with end of life decisions, death and funerals. We are an independent, Australian-owned and operated company. We are not part of any other funeral company.
Our member Funeral Directors operate in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Australia wide. Thet are chosen for their knowledge, quality, service, personalisation and experience. They go above and beyond, and will take the time to support the family.
For more information or to make contact with a trusted Independent funeral director, call eziFunerals on 1300 236 402 or visit www.ezifunerals.com.au.
