Tipi Wills & Planning have developed a comprehensive Advance Care Plan Plus document in the same way you can organise an Advance Directive, if anything should, or has happened to you.  It is a personalised, centralised and accessible safe place to store or record important healthcare and legal documents.  It contains healthcare directions (which includes important information such as diet and religious beliefs) GP, healthcare and family contact information.  It records where other important private documents and information are stored such as your Will (to avoid it not being found).  You may also record if you wish, passwords, financial account information, insurance policies.

 

Your Advance Care Plan also provides a Personal Section for favourite photographs and memories like a Smart Scrapbook .  This has an important function for your welbeing.  

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Keep it with you whenever you need medical or healthcare support, at home, hospital, short term or long term care.  Ensure the best care for you by providing the best information for others.

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When is the best time to do your Life Care Plan and ACPP?  Anytime well ahead of when it is needed.   

 

There are three golden rules you must have to do all forms of planning

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1  Be physically capable

2  Be strong of mind

3  Have the means

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Do not wait until any one these conditions is in question.

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Only you know you as well as you do.

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It is incredibly common for it to be too late to prepare all this easily or at all.  Suddenly social services and carers are involved, seeking advocates and family to become involved, court permissions, and no attornies and no healthcare directions.  It effectively starts when it is too late.  When hospitalised or going into care, information is recorded onto the computer and invariably this vital information is left blank because it is unknown, even if in place.  All agencies involved in your care want you to have the best care and to have prepared in good time.  This has little to do with how healthy and fit you are and how great your life is.  Anything can happen at any time.

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Use foresight : If you are planning on doing something risky, already have or are diagnosed with illness, going into hospital, accident or injury, this is a good time to undertake your Life Care Plan. It focusses your mind.  If you think this is hard to face now, imagine trying to face it after an accident, onset of serious illness, ill, confused, overwhelmed, when everyone else is trying their best on your behalf.

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An Advance Care Plan Plus :

i)  gives clear personal instructions to your family and any carer or health professional.  You retain control on directing your care, wants and particular needs

ii)  would provide a framework that healthcare givers can comply with in respect to legal obligations regarding your care. 

iii)  take a large burden off family knowing you have given your clear instructions that are in an accessible central place.  (This is an area that can be challenging where a hospital may need to call in legal or mediation services.  Families can fracture sometimes irreperably when medical advice and decisions are to be considered.  It is not an area to be underestimated).

iv)  Provide you with an opportunity to consider the legal documents you might need in place to complete a whole Life Care Plan to include a Living Will, Powers of Attorney, Document of Decisions, up to date Will.

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We provide you with a sectioned folder.  Make as personal as you wish.  Washable binder and tab inserts.  Brightly coloured tabs for easy identification and easy see clear pastic sleeves for documents. 

 

Included is a Personal Wellbeing Section.  Lift your spirits and show photos and things of interest for conversation with those around you.  Include pictures of you and loved ones; your life or work history, family, you as a child or parent or friend or partner; notes of happy memories, all of which help healthcarers and visitors to talk with you about things that are important to you and help if you feel low.  

 

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Include your food preferences, your entertainment likes and dislikes regarding tv and radio for example, your self care such as hair and nails, footcare and any host of preferences that make you comfortable and happy.  You may keep it short and succinct and/or consider it an ongoing record.  Add things to it as you go along and then keep it with you should you get ill and/or go into care/rehabilitation.

 

An ACPP can also be used as a keepsake for those that love you too if you use it a Smart Scrap Book and have loved ones help create this section.

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It is important to use your ACPP to store essential documents to centralise and make them easily available to avoid documents not being found.  There are cases such as where a Living Will came to light later, buried deep in GP records.  This was a problem for the health carers because unwittingly they were contraveneing the patient wishes, ie breaking the law.  Any medical carers are bound by it eg so cannot carry out care against your wishes.

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It's flexible  You choose what sections you fill in now or later and/or amend as needed. You can take as much time as you need after completing [basic] details.  You may take as long as you need to develop a full picture and add personal content.

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Plan now to live your best life whatever happens.

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Rather like a "smart" scrapbook, you can encourage loved ones to participate then keep as a personal project. 

 

Timing can be hard.  An accident or serious illness, whether sudden or anticipated, for short term or long term, can mean it is difficult (or indeed not possible if incapacitated) to put your mind to details, decisions and choices.  Feel reassured that we can guide and support you even if it has become urgent.  Preparing yourself for the future using the three golden rules is the best.  

 

We can support you to address difficult subjects and details and prepare over a time period that suits you.

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We give a sensitive, experienced and strong supporting hand.  We do believe in the human aspect of personal relationships and support.

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An important part of creating an Advance Care Plan Plus is to protect you from feeling dehumanised at a time when you may be feeling  vulnerable such as through accident, sudden or progressive illness.  

Your ACP therefore, provides a complete centralised care and legal package that prepares you for the future.  Anyone looking at your Advance Care Plan will see a full package of information which can be updated at any time.