Taking care of business (A4) (PDF) - Seniors Information Service

Other decisions about my healthOne thing that’s important to me is to be able to die at home where I have my familyaround me. I want to know what support I can get from doctors and the heath system.Some people have got strong ideas about what they’d like to happen to them if theyget ill and can’t communicate their wishes, or if they lose the ability to make decisionsfor themselves. Other people don’t want to think about these things and would ratherleave them up to their family or carer. The important thing is to talk with your familyand doctor about what you want to happen. Some people choose to write down theirwishes in an advance care directive.An advance care directive (sometimes called a living will) is a way of recordingyour wishes or instructions for the future for doctors and health care workers. It’s onlyused when you are unable to communicate or have lost the ability to make decisionsfor yourself.There is no special form for that you have to use. You can write down your wishesin a letter. The NSW Department of Health has published recommendations on thebest way to write an advance care directive. An advance care directive should followthese four principles:• It needs to be specific: it can include your preferences for treatment fora health condition you have now or one you may develop in the future.• It needs to be kept current: it is important to review your advance caredirective regularly or if there is a big change in your health.Taking Care of Business• You must be mentally competent: you can only make an advance caredirective while you still have the mental ability to understand thechoices you are making,• It is a good idea to have it witnessed.14