Your personal values and beliefs determine what matters most to you in life. They guide the way you live your life and shape the decisions you make. Consider what you would need to live meaningfully and what would be
important to you if you have an accident or fall ill and lost the ability to speak for yourself or make decisions about your care.

You can start thinking about:

• What do you value or like about your life? What activities do you enjoy? What makes your day meaningful? What religious or spiritual beliefs are important to you?
• What you would like known about you when health care decisions are being made? Think about your past experiences, wishes and beliefs or what is important to you.
• What sort of care and care treatments would you want, including situations where serious illness or disability may be involved? Consider where you would like to be taken care of if you were diagnosed with a severe condition that you could not recover from. For example, at home, at a hospital, at an aged care facility or hospice.
• What are the health outcomes that you would find unacceptable? Think about what you would not want. For example, being kept alive with machines with no chance of improvement or not being able to communicate with others.
• If you are very sick, who are the people you would like to have by your side? Who do you trust to make care and financial decisions for you? Who would respect and understand your wishes and choices for care?
• If you were nearing death, describe what would be important or comforting to you. Think about your personal preferences, special traditions, or spiritual support. Indicate the place you would prefer to die (e.g. home, hospital, nursing home). Consider how you would want to be cared for after you die, your spiritual, religious and cultural practices.

The above questions can help you start thinking about what is important to you and start your advance care planning journey.

• Talk to your doctors and loved ones about your wishes and preferences for care, including medical treatments. This will help them understand your decisions.
• Choose a person you trust (who will listen to your values and understands your choices for future care) to make medical treatment decisions on your behalf in case you can’t speak or communicate for yourself.

To ensure your wishes are carried out and your loved ones, doctors and health professionals understand your choices, you will need to complete and sign advance care planning documents. To complete your forms, your documents require discussions and sign off by:

• Your doctor/nurse practitioner – Statement of Choices and Advanced Health Directives only
• And/or a lawyer or Justice of the Peace – Enduring Power of Attorney and Advanced Health Directives only.

The Enduring Power of Attorney only has legal authority in Queensland as each state and territory has different legislation and documentation. You will need to be 18 years or older and have decision-making capacity.

What is decision-making capacity?
Capacity is a legal term that refers to the ability to exercise the decision-making process to make informed decisions about personal health and financial matters. All adults are presumed to have capacity to make decisions unless it can be shown otherwise.

A person with decision making capacity can:

• Comprehend and retain information needed to make a decision. This includes understanding the choices available and considering the consequences or risks.
• Make and communicate their choices to others.

You can find more information about decision making capacity in the Queensland Capacity Assessment Guidelines 2020.

What ACP documents do I need to complete in Queensland?

• Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) form

• Advance Health Directive form and/or Statement of Choices form

Once your documents are completed, signed, dated, and witnessed as per requirements, you are encouraged to:

• Keep your completed original Advance Care Planning documents in a safe and accessible place.
• Provide copies of your completed Advance Care Planning documents to the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning (OACP) in Queensland.
• Give certified copies of your completed Advance Care Planning documents to those you trust who may need to be involved in decisions about your future health care (family and/or close friends) and doctors. Ensure these people know where to find the original documents, just in case they are required.

The OACP uploads your completed Advance Care Planning documents to your Queensland Health electronic hospital record. This ensures your GP, Queensland Ambulance Services, hospital and residential aged care facilities have access to these documents.

Send your documents via:

Email: acp@health.qld.gov.au
Fax: 1300 008 227
Post: PO Box 2274, Runcorn Qld 4113

The OACP will review your documents and if they are incomplete or any changes are needed, they will let you know via email.

As circumstances can change, you may want to update your documents and forms. Your Advance Care Planning documents should be reviewed:

•  when your health, personal or living situation changes
• when your preferences change
• If your attorney(s) (nominated person to act on your behalf) changes