Advanced Care Planning

What is Advanced Care Planning

Advanced Care Planning (ACP) is a proactive approach to ensuring your healthcare preferences are understood and respected, even when you’re unable to communicate them yourself. It involves discussing and documenting your values, treatment preferences, and healthcare goals with your loved ones and healthcare providers.

Personalized Care: Ensure that your healthcare aligns with your personal values and goals.
Empowerment: Take control of your healthcare decisions by clearly outlining your wishes.
Peace of Mind: Provide clarity and reduce stress for your loved ones during difficult times

How Does it Work?

1. Reflect: Consider your values, beliefs, and what matters most to you regarding healthcare.
2. Discuss: Have open conversations with family, friends, and healthcare professionals about your preferences.
3. Document: Formalize your wishes in an advanced directive or living will, and appoint a healthcare proxy if desired. See below for helpful resources.
4. Review: Regularly update your plan to reflect any changes in your health or personal circumstances.

Advanced Care Planning Guide

Resources

• The State of Maryland offers a planning form within the Maryland Advance Directive: Planning for Future Health Care Decisions. This publication also includes a frequently asked questions section (pp. 5-6) that you may also find informative.

• The Medical Order for Life-Saving Treatment (MOLST) form includes medical orders for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and other medical personnel regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other life-sustaining treatment options for a specific patient. It is valid in all health care facilities and programs throughout Maryland. The MOLST form will be completed by your physician either with you, your loved ones, or based on your advance care plan or advance directive.

• Five Wishes goes beyond traditional advance directives by addressing personal, emotional and spiritual matters as well as medical wishes. It covers topics such as the designation of a healthcare proxy, preferences for medical treatment, comfort care wishes and messages to loved ones. The document is legally valid in most states, including Maryland, and provides a thoughtful framework to help guide families through their preferences and values. Additionally, they offer family communication starter packs. Available in 30 Languages.