Future Care Planning
Mandy Jones outlines a way of documenting your preferences about end-of-life care before it’s too late.
The goal of Future Care Planning is to help ensure that people receive medical care that is consistent with their values, goals and preferences once they are no longer able to make decisions themselves. It helps the individual to think about the consequences of various illness scenarios and to discuss wishes with family and healthcare professionals. A diagnosis of a life-limiting illness may well be the catalyst for such conversations, but adults of any age or stage of health may engage in the process.
It addresses concerns about physical, psychological, social, and spiritual issues. For example, where would you most want to be cared for, at home, a hospice, or a hospital? The types of treatment that you would or would not want. Who would you want to be included in decisions about aspects of your care? Any religious or spiritual beliefs that are important to you.
These conversations can provide peace of mind for individuals and their families. Those who are at the end of life and have a Future Care Plan in place are more likely to have their choices respected, as those around them know what their wishes are. They are more likely to live in their preferred place of care and are more likely to die at home if that is their wish.
The Paul Sartori Foundation has been providing Future Care Planning for the people of Pembrokeshire since July 2015. Previously funded by the GP surgeries and the Health Board, the service is now funded by a grant secured by the National Lottery Community Fund.
Our team of nurses meet individuals in their own homes to discuss what is most important to them and help them document their wishes regarding their end-of-life care. There is no cost to the individual for the service. We can take referrals from health care professionals as well as self-referrals and referrals from family and friends. The person being referred needs to be over 18, to have consented to the referral being made and have a GP in Pembrokeshire. We can also take referrals for those who have already lost capacity and help to create a document based on information from those closest to them.
If you would like to find out more about Future Care Planning, please contact us via email fcp@paulsartori.org or call our office on 01437 763223.