Advance care planning is the process of making decisions about what kind of care you'd like to have in the future. This can help make sure anyone looking after you knows what matters to you. Here, we talk about what you can include in an advance care plan, how it will be used, and how you can make one.
Here to find a form or planning ahead tool?
What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning means having conversations with your healthcare team and making decisions about the care you'd like in future. Planning ahead can help make sure your wishes are still followed if you're unable to make or express your decisions at any point. It's sometimes called making an advance statement.
In Scotland and Wales, planning your care in advance is called future care planning. On this page we use 'advance care planning' as a general term, but it's relevant for people in Scotland and Wales too.
Why advance care planning matters
Planning your care in advance lets healthcare professionals and the people close to you know what’s important to you. It makes it more likely that your wishes will be understood and followed.
Is an advance care plan legally binding?
No. Making an advance care plan is not legally binding. But they are helpful to guide decisions about your care.
There could be circumstances when doctors or nurses do not follow the wishes you’ve recorded. For example, you may wish to be cared for at home. But the type of care you need might mean you need to be cared for in a different place, such as a hospice. But, if you have a plan, healthcare professionals should try to follow your wishes.
If you want to make decisions about your care that are legally binding, you could consider appointing a Power of Attorney, or creating an advance decision to refuse treatment (ADRT).
What to include in an advance care plan
Asking yourself, 'what matters to me?', can help you plan for the future. Knowing what matters most and sharing your wishes can help you feel supported in your decisions.
You can include any information that's important to you in your advance care plan. Some examples of decisions you might like to think about are:
- how you would like to be looked after
- where you would like to be looked after when you are less well
- where would you like to die
- any spiritual or religious beliefs you would like taken into account
- who you want to spend time with
- who your doctors or nurses should talk to if you're unable to make or tell people about your decisions
- how you would like practical matters dealt with, such as the care of a pet
- what you would like to happen to your online accounts and digital content
- what you would like to happen to your body after you die
- what you would want to happen in an emergency
- if you'd like to donate your organs.
Having conversations with your healthcare team and those closest to you, will help them understand what's important to you. Talking to the people supporting you can also help you understand what your future care might look like.
If you are trans or gender diverse
If you are trans or gender diverse, you may have specific concerns or questions about your future care. It can help to make sure that your wishes are shared and understood.
How to make an advance care plan
Making an advance care plan can seem like a big task. You might find it helpful to think of it as recording what matters most to you. You can then share this with the people supporting you.
Follow these steps to make your own advance care plan.
Think
Think about your future. What do you want or not want to happen?
This might include decisions about where you'd like to be cared for, or where you would prefer to die.
It can also include things that matter most to you. This might be how you like to do things, for example, if you prefer a bath or a shower. It can also include anything you'd like the people looking after you to know. For example, if you have any dietary requirements or preferences.
It's your choice whether you make an advance care plan. You should not feel pressure to include anything you're not comfortable with.
If you're not sure what to include, try talking with people who know you best.
Talk
Talk with the people important to you. It can be helpful to include them in this process, so they're aware of what you'd like.
If there's more than one person supporting you, it could be helpful to talk to each person, so they all know what your preferences are.
Record
Record your thoughts and create your own advance care plan.
There is no set template for making an advance care plan. You can record your wishes in a way that suits you. Writing down your wishes can make it easier for people to understand and follow them in the future.
Keep your advance care plan somewhere safe. Let the healthcare professionals involved in your care know where they can find it. It's helpful to let the people important to you know where they can find it too.
Would you prefer to follow a template? See advance care planning forms, tools and templates under Advance care plan forms below.
Discuss
Discuss your plans with the healthcare professionals involved in your care. They can help you understand what sort of care you might need in the future, so you know which decisions to include.
Share
Share information about your plans with the people who need to know. Make sure it's recorded in your healthcare records.
Your doctor or nurse can tell you how to make sure other health and social care professionals know about your advance care plan. They might be able to create an electronic record of your plan that could be accessed by hospital staff or out-of-hours doctors. These services vary depending on where you live.
If you have a carer or someone who looks after you, give them a copy of your advance care plan. Or tell them where you keep it.
Advance care plan forms
Ask your healthcare professional for an advance care planning form. Some NHS Trusts or GP surgeries will have these available on their websites. You could also try:
We have a free booklet, Planning ahead, that includes a section on advance care plans. It includes prompt questions and space to write down your thoughts.
We also have a booklet about planning ahead if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, Getting care and planning for the future.
If you'd prefer to speak to someone, contact the free Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309* or email support@mariecurie.org.uk.
When and how to review your advance care plan
You can change your plan at any time. Planning your care in advance often happens over time, and in different conversations. You can update your plan at any point.
It’s a good idea to review your plan regularly to make sure it still reflects your needs and wishes. Just make sure to update any relevant documents and copies if you do make changes.
Planning for emergencies
You can plan what you’d want to happen in an emergency. For example, if you suddenly stop breathing, or become suddenly unwell. These plans help healthcare professionals know what to do if you’re not able to decide or tell people yourself.
You can do this as part of your advance care plan. But you may want to consider specific plans for emergency care – especially if you’d like to decline certain treatments.
There are different ways to record your wishes about emergency care. They include a:
- do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) decision
- Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) plan
- advance decision to refuse treatment (ADRT).
Speak to your doctor or nurse about your options for planning for emergencies. They can discuss the possible benefits and risks of different treatments and advise on the next steps.
If you're unable to make or express decisions
Some people lack mental capacity. This means they are not able to make or express decisions for themselves. This could be because they're not conscious. Or they have a condition that affects their memory or thinking. It might be temporary or long-term.
Your healthcare team will try to follow any wishes you're able to communicate, or that you've discussed or recorded in the past.
There are some planning tools that are designed for people who might find it harder to make and express decisions. They are sometimes called Easy Reads. See Advance care plan forms above for some examples of these tools.
If healthcare professionals are not sure what you'd like, they'll ask the people important to you what they think your wishes would be. This helps professionals make decisions about your care, based on your best interests.
It's a good idea to tell professionals:
- who is important to you
- who you want to be involved in decisions about your care.
This might be especially important if your healthcare professionals are not aware of the significance of your relationships. You might also want to tell healthcare professionals who you do not want to be involved in decisions about your care.
The people close to you will not be able to legally make decisions about your care, unless they are appointed to do so.
Power of Attorney and making decisions
If you want to choose someone to legally make decisions for you, you might want to consider making a:
- lasting health and welfare Power of Attorney in England and Wales
- welfare Power of Attorney in Scotland.
This means the person or people you choose, can legally make decisions for you. And, healthcare professionals will involve them in decisions about your care.