Advance care plans
Prepare for your future healthcare with an Advance care plan (ACP). In NZ, an ACP is a written record to outline your preferences to healthcare providers. It helps whānau too, should you be unable to communicate or need end of life care.
What is Advance Care Planning?
Sometimes unexpected things happen. You may get a serious illness or need end of life care planning, so it’s useful to have communicated your wishes in advance.
That’s where an Advance Care Plan comes into play. Of course, it’s voluntary to do make an ACP in NZ. But it will give you peace of mind that decisions can be made on your behalf that match your preferences.
How do I make an Advance Care Plan (ACP)?
Fortunately, our GPs and nurses are experienced in helping you write an ACP and ensuring a clear record is made of your wishes. Importantly, they aim to ensure your treatment preserves your wishes, mana, and wairuatanga. Likewise, you’ll be providing support to those close to you regardless of the circumstances you may find yourself in.
Get peace of mind with an ACP
- A record of your preferred health journey in the event of life-threatening illness, a long-term condition or an accident. Anything that compromises your ability to communicate
- Your wishes laid out to support family or healthcare providers in decision making on your behalf
- Flexibility to change the plan as much as you like if your wishes or preferences change
- In addition, whānau benefit from your end of life plan too. Clarifying your wishes relieves the burden of decision making from them
- Lastly, you’ll have peace of mind knowing there is less distress to loved ones because your desires are clear in your final days
What is included in an NZ Advance Care Plan?
You choose what is included in your ACP. But we might ask you to consider if you’d like to:
- detail any taha wairua (spiritual) or emotional considerations
- choose someone you trust to make decisions (a EPA for personal care and welfare) if you can’t communicate yourself.
- be an organ donor
- if you have a terminal illness, where would you like to be when the time comes to pass?
- funeral arrangements like if you’d prefer to be cremated or buried
Likewise, ee can also talk about the End of Life Act Choices Act. It’s useful to understand how that may apply to terminal illness you might be facing.
Some NZ ACP templates to start your thinking are available.
Learn more about how the Advance Care Plan NZ works.
