Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Directive

An Advance Care Directive records your specific preferences for future health care. This includes treatments you would accept or refuse if you had a life-threatening illness or injury. An Advance Care Directive will only be used if you do not have capacity to make decisions for yourself or to communicate your preferences.

If you choose, you can create an Advance Care Directive simply by writing down your preferences in a structured way, signing and dating it.

In your Advance Care Directive, you can write:

• an instructional directive with legally binding instructions about future medical treatment you consent to or refuse
• a values directive which documents your values and preferences for your substitute decision-maker to consider when making decisions for you
• details of your enduring guardian(s) or Person(s) Responsible

Enduring Guardianship

When you appoint an enduring guardian, you are choosing a trusted relative or friend to manage your health care. The person you appoint becomes your substitute decision-maker if you are no longer able to make decisions.

You may want to appoint one or more adults to this role. 

The form has specific requirements for completion and witnessing. Your chosen enduring guardian must accept this role by signing the form.

Your enduring guardian can consent to or refuse treatment on your behalf. They must act in accordance with any lawful directions contained in the form. They must make the decision they believe you would make if you could make your own decision. For this reason, it is helpful to talk to them about what is important to you and any preferences you have.

The NSW Trustee and Guardian has information and forms on Enduring Guardianship, Power of Attorney and Wills