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Advance Care Planning (ACP)
Advance Care Planning is a process by which you are able to remain actively involved in your own healthcare should you become unable to speak or make decisions for yourself.
This process can include:
- Choosing your Health Care Proxy or Decision-Maker.
- Identifying your values regarding health care
- Having a conversation about these values with your loved one’s/ health care proxy
- Completing an Advance Directive
- Giving your Wishes to your Primary Care Physician (PCP) and your health care proxy
The process results in the completion of an advance directive.
Advance Directive (AD)
A formal document that is the result of advance care planning process. It is used by physicians to guide treatment if a person becomes incapacitated and cannot make an informed decision that gives instructions about future medical care. The term ‘advance directive’ basically encompasses both ‘living wills’ and ‘medical powers of attorney’.
Each state regulates the use of Advance Directives differently.
Artificial nutrition and hydration or "tube feeding"
Artificial nutrition and hydration are used to either supplement or replace ordinary food and drink. It is when food or drink are given through an intravenous (IV) tube placed directly into the stomach, the upper intestine or a vein. If a patient chooses not to have IV fluids, food and fluids are offered as tolerated using careful hand feeding.
