Advance Care Planning
What is Advance Care Planning?
Advance Care Planning is an ongoing process where you share your wishes and instructions for future healthcare treatments.
| Think about what matters to you and what that means for your future health. Learn about your health and what future medical choices you may need to make. Learn about who can speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself. Choose who you want to make your decisions for you if you cannot. Decide if you should appoint a proxy (someone who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot). Share what is important to you with your proxy or nearest relative, those who are important to you, and your health care team. Record your plan in legal documents if that is what is best for you. |
Substitute Decision Maker is a term for the legal person (or people) that the health care team would talk to about making or helping with health-related decisions if you could not make them yourself. This could be for a short time if you have an accident or illness, or permanently if you lose the ability to make decisions.
A Proxy is a type of substitute decision maker you choose and legally appoint to make health care decisions for you when you cannot. No one else can appoint a proxy for you after you lose the ability to make decisions.
Your Legal Nearest Relative is the person who can legally make health care decisions for you if you are unable to and you have not appointed a proxy. This list must be followed in the order found in The Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Act, 2015.
If you feel someone could better share your wishes than your nearest legal relative, it is important to appoint them as your proxy. Your proxy can be anyone who knows you best—they do not have to be a blood relative.
A Health Care Directive is a document created when you can make your own medical decisions. It outlines the wishes and limits of what you would or would not want in health care. It can be used, along with conversations with the substitute decision maker, to show the care team your thoughts at a time when you are too sick or injured to talk to them yourself. No one else can make a health care directive for you. You can use any form or template you want to make a health care directive. As long as it’s signed and dated by you, it’s a legal document.
The process of advance care planning may or may not involve creating legal documents.
Store your health care directive, proxy appointment, and/or other important information in a place where it will be found easily when there is an emergency, like an Advance Care Planning Yellow Sleeve. Give a copy of your directive to those close to you such as your family or your proxy. Bring a copy with you if you have an appointment or go to hospital. |
You can change your mind at any time as long as you can still make your own decisions.
You can use the Saskatchewan Health Authority's ABCs of ACP to consider if a proxy appointment or health care directive is a good choice for you.
Connections and Conversations
Advance care planning is about preparing for your future health care needs when you cannot make health care decisions yourself. You need to share your wishes and goals to make sure you receive the health care you want. Ongoing conversations with your substitute decision maker can help your health care team align your care with your values and help your loved ones feel more prepared if you cannot make decisions for yourself.
Our resources are currently only offered in English. Please contact your Saskatchewan Health Authority service provider to set up translation services.
The yellow sleeve is a yellow plastic page protector used to store your Health Care Directive and Proxy documents and any other information your want to be found in case of a medical emergency.
If you are interested in receiving an advance care planning package and yellow sleeve from our program, we will mail out up to two packages free of charge. If you require more than 2 packages, please contact us and speak to one of our educators about your request.
Your yellow sleeve should be kept on or near your fridge so it can be found in an emergency. If you are unable to do so, please contact the program to request a static cling fridge sticker to indicate where it is kept.
Please fill out our request form.
| Keep it on or near your fridge so EMS can find it if there is an emergency in your home. |
For more information about Advance Care Planning, contact:
Email: advancecareplanningprgm@saskhealthauthority.ca
Phone: 1-306-766-5922 or 1-833-544-2255
