A Patient and Family Guide

Talk with your health care team about the future

Tell us about your goals and what is important to you. Members of your health care team may talk with you about your illness and your goals and wishes for your care. We will ask about your goals for when you are well and if you become sick. Having these conversations is important to make sure you get the right care for you.

Talking about your future care does not change the care you get now.

Think about these questions to prepare for the future.

Asking yourself these questions now may help you feel less anxious, more at peace and more in control of your future. Preparing for the future now is especially helpful if your health changes unexpectedly.

What do I want to know about living with my illness, such as its impact on day-to-day life?
What should I expect in the future, such as how will my illness change over time?
What information do I need to make decisions about my future, such as what treatments are available or recommended, and if the treatment is meant to cure the illness or make me feel better for a period of time?
What is most important for me to have a good quality of life, such as being at home or with family, not needing a machine to live, or knowing how to manage pain or other symptoms?
What worries me when I think about the future, such as being a burden to others, leaving loved ones behind, having pain, or knowing how to get help when my clinic is closed?
Who do I want to make decisions for me if I cannot make them myself?

Learn about your treatment options so you know what to expect.

As your health changes you may need to decide what treatment is right for you. Some treatments:

are meant to cure illness
make you feel better or comfortable
are taken at home
are given at the hospital

Learning what to expect from different treatments can help you have the best quality of life possible.

Know who will make decisions for you if you cannot. Ask someone you trust to make decisions for you if there comes a time when you cannot make decisions yourself. Tell them your values, wishes and what matters most to you. This is one of the most important ways to stay in control of your care.

We can help you identify your substitute decision maker or fill out a Power of Attorney for Personal Care form if required. We will keep the form in your chart so we have it if we need it.

Share your wishes with us. We will record your wishes in your chart. Having this information will help us honour what matters to you most.

We understand your wishes for the future may change. Tell us when this happens and we will update your chart.

Know we’re here to support you. We are here to support you and answer questions so you can make the best decisions for yourself.

Visit advancecareplanning.ca for more information.

© 2021. University Health Network in association with its educational initiative to improve serious illness care, The Conversation Lab. This guide has been adapted from the work of Ariadne Labs (ariadnelabs.org) that is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Do not reproduce without permission.