Guides for people considering their future health care
Catholic Health Australia has prepared a guide for people considering their future health care needs as well as a guide for health care professionals. The guide is described as being consistent with Catholic principles as well as with good secular ethics.
The documents have been approved by the Committee for Doctrine and Morals of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
The guide for people considering their future health care provides a model statement along with a commentary designed to inform them of the issues that need to be taken into account and assist them with their planning.
The document notes, in particular: "Given the continuing debates over euthanasia and the withdrawal of medical treatment, it is important to state explicitly that you do want life-sustaining treatment that is reasonable to be provided unless it becomes futile or overly burdensome."
These guides can be accessed from the Catholic Health Australia website
The National Advance Care Planning Cooperative (New Zealand) has also produced a comprehensive guide for the New Zealand health care workforce on Advance Care Planning.
The guide notes that while effective Advance Care Planning does not necessarily require a written advance directive, "there is no doubt ... that a documented advance directive or advance Catholic Health Australia has prepared a guide for people considering their future health care needs as well as a guide for health care professionals. The guide is described as being consistent with Catholic principles as well as with good secular ethics.
The documents have been approved by the Committee for Doctrine and Morals of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference.
The guide for people considering their future health care provides a model statement along with a commentary designed to inform them of the issues that need to be taken into account and assist them with their planning.
The document notes, in particular: "Given the continuing debates over euthanasia and the withdrawal of medical treatment, it is important to state explicitly that you do want life-sustaining treatment that is reasonable to be provided unless it becomes futile or overly burdensome."
These guides can be accessed from the Catholic Health Australia website:
http://www.cha.org.au/site.php?id=223
The National Advance Care Planning Cooperative (New Zealand) has also produced a comprehensive guide for the New Zealand health care workforce on Advance Care Planning.
The guide notes that while effective Advance Care Planning does not necessarily require a written advance directive, "there is no doubt ... that a documented advance directive or advance care plan arising from a well-informed discussion involving both the individual and the health care professional(s) is more likely to meet the criteria for validity than an unrecorded oral directive or plan, or an advance directive drafted either by the individual on their own or as a legal document in isolation from health care professionals."
The workforce guide also notes: "In the New Zealand context it is likely but as yet legally untested that a written advance care plan would constitute an advance directive for legal purposes." For this document go to: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/advance-care-planning-aug11
A resource aimed specifically at consumers (both patients and their families/whanau) has been produced to complement this document. See: www.advancecareplanning.org.nz.
care plan arising from a well-informed discussion involving both the individual and the health care professional(s) is more likely to meet the criteria for validity than an unrecorded oral directive or plan, or an advance directive drafted either by the individual on their own or as a legal document in isolation from health care professionals."
The workforce guide also notes: "In the New Zealand context it is likely but as yet legally untested that a written advance care plan would constitute an advance directive for legal purposes." For this document go to: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/advance-care-planning-aug11
A resource aimed specifically at consumers (both patients and their families/whanau) has been produced to complement this document. See: www.advancecareplanning.org.nz.