Planning for the future
You may be reluctant to speak to your partner or relative about what to expect in the future regarding your health. These issues can be extremely difficult to raise, especially when you are trying to be positive.
However, it is very important that you and your partner or relative understand that planning for the future is not the same as giving up. Talking about and planning for the future helps you to have some control over life decisions and your care. Although it may be difficult to start, dealing with these issues can bring a great deal of peace of mind to you and your family, leaving you to focus your energies on living a full life.
Talk with your partner or relative about writing an advance care directive. This involves completing documents, which explain your partner or relative’s wishes for medical care in the future, in the event he or she becomes unable to communicate. Click here for more information on planning for your partner or relative’s end of life. You may find this is also a good time to make sure that financial matters, including wills and life insurance policies, are in order.
Healthcare professionals play an important role in supporting advanced care planning. They can help to provide an overview of the future course of heart failure and situations that people with heart failure might face. By having these discussions, they can help you and your partner or relative to make informed decisions about future care, especially emergency situations, and end-of-life care. Healthcare professionals can help navigate complex decisions and processes that support informed decision making and control over decisions and care. These are difficult issues and you would get valuable advice in discussing your concerns with your health care professional.
You may also ask your healthcare profession for information or resources to support planning for the future.
Resources available:
Supportive Palliative Care in Heart Failure – what may matter to you.
What Matters to You? Meaningful Conversation Plan
