About us

Our advance care planning specialists work within the Patient Safety and Clinical Excellence Unit at Austin Health.  We provide organisational support and expertise to enable clinicians to apply patients’ advance care plans.

Our services

We provide the following services:

• Education and training for Austin Health professionals.
• Drive quality improvement programs, and ensure compliance with standards and legislation.

What is advance care planning?

Advance care planning is a process that ensures family and treating healthcare teams understand what is important to you and how you want to be treated if you become unable to make decisions or communicate your preferences.

Advance care planning can include:

• Appointing someone - think about who you trust to make medical decision on your behalf if you were unable to. You can complete a legal form to appoint this person as your Medical Treatment Decision Maker
• Chatting and communicating - talk to family, friends and doctors about what is important to you. Discuss your values, preferences and what you would find unacceptable in relation to your health.
• Putting it on paper - you can write down your values, preferences and what is important to you in an Advance Care Directive.

Find out more about advance care planning at Advance Care Planning Australia.

Forms

Download advance care planning forms

The Department of Health (Victoria) has created a set of advance care planning forms. There are forms for:

• making an advance care directive
• appointing a medical treatment decision maker
• appointing a support person.

To download the forms and read instructions for completing them, visit Advance care planning forms on the Department of Health (Victoria) website.

Send us your completed forms

Email your completed forms to ACP@austin.org.au so they can be placed in your medical record.

Helpful resources

Advance Care Planning Australia

An Australia Government initiative. Advance Care Planning Australia provide advice and support on advance care planning.

Advance care plans - Better Health Channel

The Better Health Channel (Department of Health) website has some helpful guidance on advance care plans.

My Health Record - Advance care planning

The Australian Digital Health Agency has some helpful resources about adding your advance care planning document to My Health Record.

Office of the Public Advocate

The Office of the Public Advocate promotes and protects the rights and interests of people with disability and mental illness.

Related services

• Palliative care

  We support patients with life-limiting illness, striving to meet their emotional, spiritual and practical needs in a holistic way.

• Aged care

  We care for, treat and support older people in hospital, in the community and in their home.

Contact us

Advance Care Planning

Send your advance care planning documents to:

Email: ACP@austin.org.au

Location

Patient Safety and Clinical Excellence

Marnong boon-marrit-tak gooreen Office
Level 4, Harold Stokes Building

Austin Hospital
145 Studley Rd
Heidelberg Victoria

Location maps

Postal address

Advance Care Planning
Austin Hospital
PO Box 5555
Heidelberg Victoria
Australia 3084