Advance Health Care Planning
Everything you need to know about the advance care planning process, which involves thinking through the kind of care you would want to receive if you were unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself.
What is advance health care planning?
Advance health care planning helps you make decisions now about the care you'd want if you became too ill to speak for yourself.
It starts by thinking about:
- What matters most to you
- What gives your life meaning
- Who would you like to make decisions for you
- What type of care you would or wouldn't want
Some people want every possible treatment; others prefer care that focuses on comfort. These are your decisions to make. They are based on your values, preferences, and discussions with your loved ones.
A key tool in this process is the Advance Health Care Directive, a legal form anyone 18 or older can complete. You can update it anytime as your health or wishes change.
Why think about this kind of health care planning now?
"It's always too early, until it's too late." Many people wait to plan, thinking they don’t need it yet. But serious illness or accidents can happen unexpectedly. Without a plan, your loved ones may struggle to know what care you’d want. Planning ahead means you stay in control, and it makes things easier for those who care about you.
Advance care planning is not just for serious illness. Everyone should have advance care planning done.
-Josh Fronk, DO
How do I get started?
It’s normal to feel nervous about advance care planning, but it’s something you can take step by step and revisit anytime.
1. Talk with your doctor
Understand your current health and what may change over time. This helps you plan ahead with clarity.
2. Think about what matters most to you
Think about your goals, fears, and what brings meaning to your life. You don’t need to have all the answers, just start the conversation.
3. Choose a surrogate decision maker (A surrogate is someone who could make decisions for you if you were unable to do so)
Pick someone you trust to speak for you if you can’t make decisions yourself. A good decision maker:
Respects your wishes
Can explain your values
Speaks up for your care needs
Is willing and able to step into the role
4. Complete an Advance Health Care Directive
These tools help you document your wishes in writing. Two helpful options:
- Stanford Letter Project - Uses guided letters to help you think through and share your wishes.
- PREPARE For Your Care - A simple step-by-step tool that walks you through completing a directive, available in multiple languages.
How can palliative care help with advance care planning?
Palliative care teams are experts at guiding people through advance care planning. They can help you:
- Help you identify what matters most to you and what having a quality of life looks like for you
- Talk through your wishes with loved ones during a "family meeting"
- Navigate emotions and questions that come up in these conversations
- Share your goals with other health care providers
- Help put your wishes in writing in the advance health care directive
Tools for talking to your loved ones
- American Bar Association - Toolkit for health care advance planning
- Caring Info - Offers multilingual resources on advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice
- Defining Hope - A documentary about how people decide what matters most at the end of life
- Go Wish - A simple card game that helps spark meaningful conversations
- Prepare for Your Care - Step-by-step planning tools with downloadable directives by state
- The American Cancer Society - Provides information on advance directives and planning ahead
- The Conversation Project - Guides to help talk with loved ones and doctors about your care wishes
Advance health care directive and POLST forms
You can find different versions of advance health care directives in the links below:
- Advance Directive for Dementia - Addresses the specific needs of people with dementia
- Five Wishes - A user-friendly legal directive available in multiple languages
- My Directives - Complete and store your advance directive online or via mobile app
- National Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) -Helps you and your doctor document medical orders for serious illness care
- Prepare for Your Care - Offers planning guides and advance directive forms for many states
Virtual advance care planning workshops
Stanford's 2 Part Virtual Advance Care Planning Workshops - Our Palliative Care Community Partnerships team delivers 2 -part ACP workshops every quarter
Hospice Giving Foundation - Offers free 45-minute virtual workshops on advance care planning, POLST, and medical decisions like CPR and ventilators
UCSF MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care at Mt. Zion - Hosts a free monthly 2-part planning workshop. Attendees receive a free book and Go Wish cards