Advance Care Planning is organizing your financial and healthcare arrangements before serious illness or a healthcare crisis.
To begin planning, check out our Advance Care Planning checklist on the left, or click here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is an advance directive or healthcare directive?
“The term “advance directive” means any spoken or written instructions you give about the health care you want if a time comes when you are too ill to decide. Should you become too ill to make choices about your care, an advance directive can help others know what to do and give them peace of mind. Documenting your health care wishes spares loved ones the burden of making tough end of life decisions. By completing an advance directive, you can identify treatments you want/don’t want, state your wishes about donating your body, organs and/or tissues at death, outline your wishes about burial and funeral arrangements, and even state your wishes about resuscitation.”(Maine Health1)
What age should I start my Advance Care Plan?
It’s not so much about age as it is about preparation. At any age we may fall to illness, or injury that affects our ability to make our own healthcare decisions.
In Maine, you can begin an Advance Care Plan at the age of 18. Your advance care plan is always subject to change, and can be modified at any point in your life, as situations and perspectives change.
How should I discuss with my loved ones?
Talking about death and dying is difficult for many, although it’s something we all go through. Maine Health created this document in easing the conversations with loved ones.
Open and honest conversation about your healthcare wishes is all you’re trying to communicate, begin earlier rather than later.