Resources to help Western Australians have more say about their health and personal care towards the end of their lives have been launched by the Department of Health.
In a statement, the Department said the resources were part of a new user-friendly Advance Health Directive (AHD) — a legal document that allows people to record the treatments they consent or do not consent to receiving if they become unable to make or communicate these important decisions themselves.
“The resources include advance care planning guides for consumers and health professionals, online content and a guide to support people to complete their AHD,” the Department said.
“Advance care planning is a voluntary process of planning for future health and personal care and includes recording your values, beliefs, preferences, and treatment decisions.”
The Department noted that in 2017, Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices found that only 7.5 per cent of the State’s population had adequately planned the health and personal care they would like to receive.
“Following a recommendation from the committee, a Ministerial Expert Panel was formed to advise the Government on how more Western Australians could be better informed about advance care planning,” it said.
Minister for Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson said empowering people to make decisions about their own health, including end-of-life choices, was important.
“These are not easy conversations to have, but it is ones you and your loved ones will be grateful you had,” Ms Sanderson said.
“The new resources will benefit not only Western Australians approaching their end of life but anyone who wants to make their treatment decisions, values and beliefs known.”
The new Advance Health Directive and supporting resources can be accessed on the Department’s HealthyWA website at this PS News link.
