March 08, 2019
Advanced care planning eases end of life worries
The Health Quality and Safety Commission is urging people to plan for the sort of care they may need towards the end of life.
One of the faces of the Kia Kōrero: Let’s Talk campaign, Dr Clive Aspin of Ngāti Maru, says he and partner Terry have put together an advanced care plan so health professionals and other relevant services can get guidance on what should be done.
It covers not just late stage health treatment but also what should happen after death, including compliance with any Māori rituals.
"There is a part in the document where you can say what you want to happen with your body after you have passed and the sorts of rituals you want in place. We have identified things we want to see up until the moment of death and then things we want to see after we’ve died," Dr Aspin says.
An advanced care plan doesn’t have the legal status of a will, but it will be seen as an authoritative document.
You can do your advance care plan online, at the commission’s website: www.myacp.org.nz.
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