In Aged Care the aim is always to provide quality care that is person-centred by which we mean it’s tailored to the client’s needs and desires, taking into account everything that makes them an individual. But there sometimes comes a point where, due to deteriorating health or other reasons, the client will no longer be able to make these decisions themselves. It’s at this point that an Advance Care Plan (ADP) is activated and its importance to the delivery of person-centred care cannot be underestimated.
So for this week’s blog we will be delving right into this topic of Advance Care Planning to give you an overview of how it works in an Aged Care setting.
What is Advance Care Planning?
To put it simply, an ADP is what the name suggests – a healthcare plan that is made in advance to ensure that the client’s needs and desires are clear for all parties involved. The ADP can take the form of a written care plan, a proxy decision maker or even just a conversation about what the client’s wishes are.
The reason an ADP is so important in Aged Care is because once someone’s health has deteriorated to a certain point, they may lose their capacity to communicate or make decisions about their care delivery. Having an ADP in place means that if or when they are in such a state, they will still have had input into their care plan. It also provides piece of mind for the client’s loved ones, as they will know that they are receiving the care that they want.
So, when is the best time to start thinking about an ADP? Well, ASAP! At the latter stages of life health can deteriorate very quickly, so ensuring that the plans are in place for them to receive the quality person-centred care that they desire is key.
Key things to consider…
- Communication is crucial. Talk with the client often and try to understand more about what they are expecting from the ADP
- The purpose of the ADP is to aid the delivery of person-centred care, so make sure that you are always making decisions that take into account your client’s culture, religion, sexuality, and also their general needs and desires
- The client’s family can assist with the development phase of an ADP, providing advice and insight into certain decisions that they might make at the time – so always include them in the discussion!
- Remember that quality of life is subjective and is dictated by the client. Only they truly know what they want from the care they receive, so always respect this fact in all phases of the ADP
- Start the discussion with the client about an ADP as early as possible and remember that it can include all future decisions about care, not just for when they’re unable to make decisions themselves.
The Advance Care Cycle
A good framework to use when considering the ADP is the Advance Care Cycle which is a really simple way to view the whole process and provides a solid starting point when initiating discussions with the client. The Advance Care Cycle is made up of the following elements:
- Develop a detailed plan with the client to fully understand their care needs.
- Review the ADP constantly, being ready to implement new facets to it as the client’s circumstances change.
- Be prepared to activate the ADP when the time comes and the client is no longer able to make decisions about the care they receive.
Hopefully this blog gave you a good starting point on the topic of Advance Care Planning and its importance in Aged Care. If you’ve had experience in developing an ADP, we’d love to hear about it – just leave a comment in the box below!