​A Guide to Advance Care Planning: How to Get Started

Some people never have the opportunity to plan for their healthcare needs. Whether you're 20 or 90, it can be difficult knowing that one day your life could depend on having access and understanding medical care options in case something goes wrong with any part of our bodies
 
Regardless of our state when we are young and strong, it can be difficult to imagine a time where this may not apply. We might never know if or when care will become necessary which is why everyone 18+ should plan ahead for their future needs in advance!
 
It's never too early to start planning your future! Care Planning is a process that can be changed at any time. The most important part of care plan development? An Advance Directive, which we'll discuss below...
 
Having a power of attorney and/or healthcare durable advocate is important for anyone, but it's critical when you're young because no one knows how long their life will last. It ensures that the person who needs help making decisions can get them without having any delays or setbacks.
 
What Is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is an important step in ensuring that your values and goals of care are communicated, honored by providers unfamiliar with them or simply unable at the time being. Planning ahead will give you more control over how medical decisions affecting yourself might be made if something happens suddenly change our lives forever!
 
Why do I need an advance care plan?
It’s a good idea to think about your preferences in advance so that those who make decisions on behalf of you and give treatment can know what would have been best for you.
 
Creating a plan is never easy, but it's something that can be very meaningful for you. The truth of the matter is most people don't take time to think about what kind or treatment they want if anything should occur in their future health care situation because this could mean facing an unpleasant scene where one must make difficult choices based on limited knowledge which may not align with personal values/meaningful living.
 
Advance care planning is like having an insurance policy. You hope that your house and car will never need it, but the peace of mind knowing they're there if anything does happen makes all the difference in this world!
 
Advance care planning is like having a safety net that you can rely on in case something happens to yourself or an acquaintance.
 
How Do I Create an Advance Care Plan?
The more we learn about care plans, the better prepared for retirement life becomes. As our needs change over time and as new information surfaces that should be included in your original document; don’t hesitate to make adjustments by rewriting parts or even adding additional pages where necessary!
 
Advance directives
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows one person (the appointee) to make decisions on behalf another, usually because they are unable or unwilling. For instance if your loved ones' health care needs become too great for them to handle without assistance but you're still able-bodied enough yourself then it might be time consider putting together some type paperwork allowing someone else take over what happens should anything go wrong.
 
Advance directives allow you to name someone in charge of making decisions on your behalf should the need arise. This individual is known as "the choose carefully," since they will carry out any wishes that are named during this process and do so with care for every consideration possible - but there's no guarantee! You can find Cake’s advance directive forms by state if starting off at place like home or work isn't ideal; however these documents might change based upon where people live now-a days (elderly populations growing faster than ever.
 
A living will is a legal instrument which you can use to dictate the end-of life care your family receives when faced with certain disabilities or terminal illnesses. In some states, this document may be included as part of an advance directive form but it should not necessarily do so because there are situations where separate documents must exist such as if someone does not have any other relatives capable enough able make decisions on their behalf about what type directives would suitably provide for those individuals' resuscitation treatments; feeding tubes etc.,
 
When you can't complete a living will or advance directive because of an inability to notarize, print and find witnesses - there are still options! Cake worked closely with Providence Health & Ari Labs in order create two alternatives that require less time commitment than traditional versions. The first option is called the Trusted Decision Maker Form which could be completed quickly online by someone able bodied but without any legal training; this alternative ensures they're given full control over their healthcare preferences should something happen suddenly while away from home (i e hospitalization).
 
These forms can be submitted to hospital staff without the need for a printer, witnesses or notaries. The completed document will still carry weight and importance even if it isn't legally binding like other documents might have been in earlier times; however there are some benefits that come with having this type of information available when needed most - especially if you're unable articulate your preferences ourselves due illness/injury after being discharged from medical facilities where speech was previously impossible because we couldn’t speak up about what our needs were before they became compromised so now by filling out these sheets carefully beforehand.
 
The Trusted Decision Maker Form was created in collaboration with Dr. Ira Byock of the Providence Institute for Human Caring and it's designed to help you identify a trusted decision-maker, pick from four preselected treatment guidance options that are personalized just for your needs if there should ever come an occasion where someone must make important decisions on behalf of you or others who cannot do so themselves due illness/injury; then after filling out this simple form they'll be able speak clearly about their own preferences without any uncertainty because everyone knows exactly what he wants!
 
The COVID-specific advance care planning form was made in partnership with Dr. Atul Gawande's Ariadne Labs and The Conversation Project to help identify a health care decision maker who will be able offer an optimal treatment option for you if the worst should happen - but instead, this Trusted Decision Maker offers options that are more tailored towards what we want our future selves...
 
Ariadne Labs is dedicated toward making sure no one goes without critical information about their illness because it can wait until then; especially since some people may not even know there’s been an issue until later.
 
If you have a change in health status, be sure to review your advance directives. For example if at first glance it seemed like the right thing for people who are sicker than expected or about how much control they want over medical treatment then once again as their condition worsens this might no longer reflect what's best because now there will likely also exist treatments available which were previously unknown until recently discovered by scientists--and those choices may affect more than just pain relief!
 
Key Things to Consider When Making an Advance Care Plan
The advance care plan is a key step in preparing for the future. It can help you or your loved one think through their preferences, make decisions about them and create an actionable list of what needs to happen before they are no longer able take care of themselves at home without assistance from family members who want nothing more than peace-of mind knowing that everything has been taken into consideration should something come up unexpectedly.
 
Medical and healthcare information
This is a crucial step in the planning process, but it's often overlooked. If you have aging parents or grandparents who need help with daily tasks like bathing and dressing then be sure to include them so they don't feel overwhelmed by these responsibilities on their own accord! Consider doing this same thing for yourself now before an emergency strikes that requires quick attention from family members because no one wants extra work when everything has been going smoothly up until now...

• Medical conditions. Keep a detailed list and description of medical conditions. If you are unsure about certain diagnoses, take a little time to investigate so that you can advocate for yourself or your family member.
• Medications. Listing medications is the easy part. Knowing what they are treating can take some time to understand. But, not unlike medical conditions, taking the time to know what medications are used for will help you make informed decisions. 
• Healthcare insurance. Do you know the difference between traditional Medicare and a Medicare advantage plan? Each of these plans works differently and coverage varies depending on the plan. The first step is to make copies of insurance information so you have it available when needed. The next step is to understand what insurance covers and what it doesn’t. For example, Medicare does not cover assisted living. Does your parent have long-term care insurance and if so what is the maximum daily rate and elimination period?
• Healthcare providers. It is pretty rare these days for someone to have only a primary care provider. Healthcare has become highly specialized with cardiologists, urologists, pulmonologists, dermatologists, neurologists, and many more. Identifying each specialist along with their contact information will help you navigate a loved one’s care or your own. 
• Preferred hospital. In case of emergency, first responders may take you or your loved one to the closest hospital. If you have a preference, make this known. Healthcare consists of systems and many people prefer to stay within the system that manages their care. The reason? Communication between dissimilar healthcare systems can be fragmented and interfere with good care.

Quality of life
Advance care planning is not just about budgets, doctors and care communities. It's also a way to think more strategically with your life as you age or when taking responsibility for someone else who needs assistance around the house.
 
These are some questions to ask of yourself or your loved one.

• What steps can I take to improve my health every day?
• What are the activities that bring me joy and passion in my life?
• How do I want the end of my life to look and where do I want to be?
• How can I stay connected to friends and family in more meaningful ways?

 
Other Components of a Comprehensive Plan
When it comes to your future, don't just think about what you want or need for the present day. You should also plan on how best prepare in order not only live but thrive once life becomes more difficult and challenging - which we know will happen one way descaling our loved ones from diseases like Alzheimer’s disease .
 
Here are some other items that can help put into action an advance care plan: Discussing hospital preference with family members so they're aware of any personal wants/needs before needing emergency attention at home; Creating separate bank accounts designated solely for long-term savings (e., retirement funds),payable through automatic payroll deductions.
 
A will
Obviously, most people are familiar with the function and importance of wills. It is used for distributing assets or items upon death - this includes money as well!
 
Some people think it's best to have an attorney draft their will so they can make certain that its legal requirements are met in the state where he or she lives.
 
Financial power of attorney
I know we're all focused on making sure you have the best possible healthcare during your lifetime, but did someone mention finances?
 
Think about the following situations where having a financial power of attorney or trust would be important, like the following:

• Due to illness or accident, you are unable to manage your assets or pay bills.
• Dementia or some other cognitive disorder prevents you from managing your estate.
• Financial exploitation and fraud are huge problems in this country. Some families set up a financial power of attorney or a trust where a family member can take over finances at any time to prevent continued exploitation of the estate.

Long-term care planning and finances
Long-term care planning is an important decision. The costs of long term nursing home accommodation can be expensive, and you might need to pay for them yourself if your loved one needs it in the future
or they decide not live at home anymore due their health condition which requires more attention than before.

• In-home care. Most people say they want to remain at home as they age. For this to happen, in-home care of some kind may be necessary. For example, if your parent falls and breaks their arm, they will need someone to help them at home while they recover. You will have to pay for in-home care (unless your family member has long-term care insurance). Services include assistance with bathing, transferring, transportation, shopping, and cooking. Pricing varies across the country, but you can expect to pay on average between $20-$40 an hour if using an agency.
• Home health care. Home health care is a Medicare-covered, time-limited service where certain criteria must be met to qualify. Home health care includes nursing, physical and occupational therapy, as well as speech and respiratory therapy if needed. The time-limited nature of home health care means that if your loved one requires continued nursing care after discharge from home health, you may have to consider paying privately. 
• Assisted living. Assisted living is a viable option for many, especially when the cost of in-home care becomes unsustainable. The average cost according to Genworth is about $4000 a month, but costs can far exceed that if more care is needed. Most assisted living communities charge a base rate and then add on costs depending on the level of care needed. Long-term care policies will cover a portion of the daily rate.
• Memory care. Memory care communities are dedicated to providing specialized care for people with dementia or other cognitive problems. The cost can get very high. 
• Rehabilitation. Rehab settings are designed to help people recover from illness or injury. The length of time is determined by insurance coverage and progress the patient is making. Generally speaking, once someone is discharged from rehab, they can arrange for home health or home care to continue recovery at home. 
• Nursing home. Nursing homes are for people who need 24-hour nursing and/or require two people to assist them with transfers. A private room in a nursing home can exceed $8000 a month. This cost will be out of pocket unless you have a long-term care policy or qualify for Medicaid.

The most important thing you can do to ensure a smooth recovery from any crisis is identify your top three communities and companies in those categories. These are the ones that will be most helpful, so it’s best if they have contact information available for quick access when needed!
 
The worst-case scenario is a very real and possible event. You should plan ahead so that your loved ones will be taken care of if something goes wrong, but don't forget about the joys this life has given you either!
 
How do I talk to my family and friends about my wishes?
The advance care planning conversation can be a difficult one, but know that just having the talk is an accomplishment. Express your concerns and try to understand if they are surprised or need some time out of this discussion for themselves before continuing on with what you both have planned next together as friends who care deeply about each other's well-being in life even after death has taken its toll due to illness/injury etc..
 
How do I get my parents or another loved one to plan?
It's important to take care of your loved ones when starting the planning process, because it can be a difficult time for them. You should communicate all concerns and offer support as they think about their preferences by discussing what will happen if different options are selected in order make sure everyone is on board with decisions made early-on so there aren't any surprises later down road!
 
Advance Care Planning for You and Your Family
Planning for the future is a necessary part of life. You can take comfort in knowing that you care enough about yourself and your family to plan ahead, even if it's just small things like setting up an emergency fund or making sure taxes get done on time each year!
Ahead-of -time planning will make everything go much smoother when disaster strikes; don't wait until there are problems left over from last months' administrative tasks which could have been prevented had we started earlier.
 

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A primary source for material used in this article is from Joincake.com
 
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