Advance Care Planning

A guide for caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction

This tool guides caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through the process of advance care planning regarding possible medical treatments. Advance care planning is a process that promotes person-centred care of patients by clarifying their present goals and values, and their preferences for future health care. For adults with IDD, this process involves the adult’s substitute decision maker, a healthcare provider, and others who know the adult well, whom the adult trusts, and who are willing to support this process.

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Supporting materials
About the tool development

What is Advance Care Planning?

Advance Care Planning is a process that involves thinking about your values and wishes, and letting people know what kind of health and personal care you would want in the future if you were unable to speak for yourself. Speak Up Canada explains more about Advance Care Planning. Watch their video Five Steps of Advance Care Planning.
Health care decision making

The term Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) is used in Ontario law for the person who would make health and personal care decisions on a person’s behalf when they are unable to do so is. Speak Up Ontario provides information on the substitute decision maker hierarchy and how to identify an SDM in Ontario. Visit Speak Up Canada for similar information in other jurisdictions.

For information on Power of Attorney, download the Power of Attorney Kit from the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario

This tool was developed in response to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program of Surrey Place, Toronto. The content of this tool was subject to review by Surrey Place clinicians, primary care providers, ethicists and other relevant stakeholders. For a COVID specific version of this tool click here.

Supporting materials
- What is Advance Care Planning?
  
  Advance Care Planning is a process that involves thinking about your values and wishes, and letting people know what kind of health and personal care you would want in the future if you were unable to speak for yourself. Speak Up Canada explains more about Advance Care Planning. Watch their video Five Steps of Advance Care Planning.
- Health care decision making
  
  The term Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) is used in Ontario law for the person who would make health and personal care decisions on a person’s behalf when they are unable to do so is. Speak Up Ontario provides information on the substitute decision maker hierarchy and how to identify an SDM in Ontario. Visit Speak Up Canada for similar information in other jurisdictions.
  
  For information on Power of Attorney, download the Power of Attorney Kit from the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario
About the tool development

This tool was developed in response to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program of Surrey Place, Toronto. The content of this tool was subject to review by Surrey Place clinicians, primary care providers, ethicists and other relevant stakeholders. For a COVID specific version of this tool click here.

All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, Surrey Place. Contact the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program at Surrey Place at ddpcp@surreyplace.ca for permission to adapt information and tools to your local practice setting.

Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning

A guide for caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction

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