Time Out for Carepartners: Advance Care Planning (2020)

Connie Jorsvik, Founder and Senior Healthcare Navigator/Advocate at Patient Pathways, stressed the significance of advanced care planning for family caregivers and care recipients. She advocated for informed healthcare decision-making, highlighting ongoing discussions, documentation, and financial readiness, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouraging individuals to prioritize their healthcare needs, Connie emphasized the necessity of discussing personal values, beliefs, and care preferences.

The webinar addressed the importance of designating a substitute decision maker in healthcare, recommending the choice of a spouse or adult child, and informing the healthcare team about this selection. The presentation also highlighted the significance of a representation agreement, a legal document used to officially appoint a substitute decision maker in British Columbia.

Further, the webinar stressed the importance of advance directives and conversations about end-of-life care. It emphasized documenting care preferences in legally enforceable documents like advanced directives and discussing treatment preferences with loved ones and healthcare professionals. The session detailed various levels of care in advance directives and their customization according to individual healthcare journeys. Lastly, the webinar offered tips for organizing and communicating vital documents during emergencies.

View the video slides accompanying this presentation by clicking here.

**Disclaimer: These sessions are designed to provide general education and are not intended for individual advice and/or clinical care. The information conveyed in this recording was accurate at the time of presentation.**