About us

Advance care planning is a process of planning for future health and personal care whereby a person's values, beliefs, and preferences are made known so they can guide clinical decision making at a future time when that person cannot make or communicate their decisions.

Find out more about advance care planning at Advance Care Planning Australia.

Our services

Our Advance Care Planning (ACP) service delivers patient services, education and training across the organisation.

We provide the following services:

• Advance care planning services for consumers and patients across Austin Health
• Education and training for Austin health professionals
• Drive quality improvement programs, and ensure compliance with standards and legislation

What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning is a process that ensures family and treating healthcare teams understand what is important to you and how you want to be treated if you become unable to make decisions or communicate your preferences.

Advance care planning can include:

• Appointing someone - think about who you trust to make medical decision on your behalf if you were unable to. You can complete a legal form to appoint this person as your Medical Treatment Decision Maker
• Chatting and communicating - talk to family, friends and doctors about what is important to you. Discuss your values, preferences and what you would find unacceptable in relation to your health.
• Putting it on paper - you can write down your values, preferences and what is important to you in an Advance Care Directive.

How can the Austin Advance Care Planning team help?

While you are staying in hospital, you can ask to speak to a member of our Advance Care Planning team about:

• Appointing a Medical Treatment Decision Maker
• Having a conversation about your values, preferences and what you would find acceptable in relation to your health
• Writing down your values and preferences in an Advance Care Directive
• Getting advice about distributing copies of your advance care planning documents to key health providers, your GP, Medical Treatment Decision Maker and family

Contact the Advance Care Planning team for an information pack if you would like to start the process yourself.

Forms

You can also download and complete the forms, and then send them to us:

• Advance Care Directive for adults
• Instructions for completing the Advance Care Directive for adults
• Medical Treatment Decision Maker form
• Checklist of steps for appointing your Medical Treatment Decision Maker

Related services

• Palliative care

  We support patients with life-limiting illness, striving to meet their emotional, spiritual and practical needs in a holistic way.

• Aged care

  We care for, treat and support older people in hospital, in the community and in their home.

Contact us

Advance Care Planning

Contact us to send your advance care planning documents, or to request an information pack.

Phone: 03 9496 5000 (ask for Advance Care Planning)

Email: ACP@austin.org.au

If you are staying in hospital and want to contact us, ask your doctor or nurse to make a referral to us.

Location

Level 7, Harold Stokes Building
Austin Hospital
145 Studley Rd
Heidelberg Victoria

Location maps

Postal address

Advance Care Planning
Austin Hospital
PO Box 5555
Heidelberg Victoria
Australia 3084