Advance care planning webinar recording
If you can’t say what you want, how will decisions be made about your care? A free webinar by the VICS and Advance Care Planning Australia explained how to record what matters most to you and how you want to be cared for.
On 19 March 2025, 50 consumers, carers and health professionals dialled in to a free webinar to learn about advance care planning from VICS consumer advocates and Advance Care Planning Australia.
You can now watch the recording here:
“No-one really knows what you want unless you tell them. And if you don’t tell them, you'll be subject to their own biases.”
– VICS consumer advocate Sue Mathews
“If it hasn't been spoken about, they're only guessing, and the stress of relying on guessing when decisions need to be made can be really stressful and overwhelming and give rise to uncertainty that never goes away.”
– VICS consumer advocate Catherine Kelly
Resources
Kylie Ash, education coordinator for Advance Care Planning Australia, talked us through processes and considerations for recording your choices in advance care planning documents. She highlighted a range of free resources that can help, including:
- Life-prolonging treatments – Advance Care Planning Australia
- Conversation Starters (PDF) – Advance Care Planning Australia
- Discussion Starters – Palliative Care Australia
- My Values
- ‘Advance Care Directive for Adults’ form (PDF) – Victorian Department of Health
- Instructions for completing the Advance Care Directive for Adults (Word doc.)
- ‘Advance Care Directive for adults for someone signing on your behalf’ form (PDF)
- Preferences and Values Form for Another Person (PDF)
- ‘Appointment of a medical treatment decision-maker’ form (PDF)
- Checklist of steps for appointing your medical treatment decision-maker (PDF)
- ‘Appointment of medical treatment decision-maker for someone signing on your behalf’ form (PDF)
- Upload your advance care plan to My Health Record
- Wallet card: Please respect my Advance Care Directive (PDF).
Learning link for health professionals:
This event was hosted by the Victorian Integrated Cancer Services (VICS) and Advance Care Planning Australia.
The VICS are Victoria’s cancer service improvement network, supported by the Victorian Government. We help patients’ voices be heard by health services, to inform overall improvements in care. www.vics.org.au
Advance Care Planning Australia is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care to promote and improve advance care planning, leading to care that is in line with people’s wishes and preferences. www.advancecareplanning.org.au