How To Create A Care Plan
On Friday, I was asked to provide a short "learning moment" of my choosing, and present it to the rest of my team at work. Since my team is not just clinical folks, I wanted to teach about something that can speak to just about anyone.
I thought this might be a helpful post for some people who may, or may not know what a care plan is, or why it's so crucially important in everyones' life.
As per the definition of advancecareplanning.ca Advance Care Planning is a process of reflection and communication. It is a time for you to reflect on your values and wishes, and to let people know what kind of health and personal care you would want in the future if you were unable to speak for yourself.
It is never too soon to begin your care plan. Reality is, fatal accidents happen all of the time. On a more personal note, a family friend of mine was taken way too soon from the fentanyl epidemic. He was 28 years old. After his death was mentally processed, the next extremely difficult step was to figure out 'how would he liked to be remembered by?'. No one really knew, because at 28 years old we don't see the need to plan for our death. Obviously, shall there had been a plan, or at the very least a conversation, we would of had a bit more guidance to go by.
As a nurse, you can probably understand why I advocate for this so strongly. Below is the same video I had played for my team to help understand the 5 simple steps towards making your own care plan. There's also a great workbook that can get you started at building out your plan. The link is here.
Think about it for a minute. By creating a care plan, it can:
1. Prepare us. Anything can happen!
2. It offers peace of mind.
3. It reduces stress on loved ones.
4. It provides valuable direction.
5. Your voice is heard!
It is never too soon to start, trust me. I encourage you to create one for yourself, or to talk about it with a loved one. Maybe this post will inspire you to bug your parents about creating a care plan... I know I did!
Thanks for reading :)
Olivia
