Address future healthcare wishes, WellSouth urges

SOUTHERN residents are being urged to spend today thinking about their future healthcare wishes.

It is Advance Care Planning Day, a national promotion aimed at encouraging people to create a plan setting out how they would like their healthcare needs to be met — especially if they are no longer able to speak for themselves.

Templates are available online for people to set out their requests regarding topics such as cultural and religious matters, how much information they want released to family, and who should have power of attorney over their affairs.

The template also addresses what the person’s ‘‘ideal death’’ would look like if their condition proved to be terminal.

‘‘Every single one of us could benefit from having discussions with our loved ones about our personal health wants and wishes for the future,’’ WellSouth clinical adviser Stephen Graham said.

‘‘Completing an advance care plan makes it much easier for families, whanau and healthcare providers to know what the person would want — particularly if they can no longer speak for themselves.’’

People should ensure both family and doctors were aware of their wishes, Dr Stephen Graham said.

‘‘GPs play an important role in advance care planning, even though it can be a difficult conversation to have with patients.’’

General practices, aged residential care facilities, hospitals and hospice services across the southern region are participating in the promotion.