This will give you greater control over your situation. It will also help to ensure your health choices are influenced by what matters most to you. Working with your healthcare team will lead to better and safer healthcare for you.

There are many opportunities to be involved in conversations about your care. We encourage you to be involved as much as you would like during the following as an inpatient:

• when speaking to your healthcare team about recommendations relating to your care
• during nursing shift handover, when the nurses hand over your plan for the day
• during ward rounds, when the healthcare team talk about your progress
• use your bedside communication board to write questions for your team, ask your nurse to note the daily plan, and share your goals for your care so we understand what matters to you.

We will try to explain information about your care in a way you can understand. But sometimes we don’t get it right. It is important that you ask questions if you are unsure about the information that has been provided.

The following strategies may help:

• prepare a list of questions for your treating team
• ask us to explain the information again, in a way you can understand
• ask us for time to consider the information or talk it over with loved ones
• ask us how the care being recommended will help you achieve your healthcare
• goals (healthcare goals are what matters most to you)
• ask us for written information
• ask us to make sure your bedside communication board is kept up-to-date.

Setting goals for your care

We will ask you about your goals of care.

A goal of care is what you want to achieve or the things you want to be able to do. A goal could be being able to walk up steps, recover and get home, spend time with grandchildren or be well enough to go on a trip.

It is important for you to tell us about what matters to you, so that we can provide care which helps you to meet your goals.

Tips for setting goals

Here are some tips about setting goals, and examples of things you can do to make sure that everyone in the healthcare team knows what matters to you.

1. Think about what matters most to you

Write a list or discuss what is important to you with those who support you.

Consider things like your needs and preferences for care and the outcomes that matter most to you.

2. Make decisions about care and treatment choices with your healthcare team

When making decisions about your care, talk to your healthcare team about how different care options will help you to achieve your goals.

3. Understand who will help you reach your goals for care

Talk to your healthcare team about who you want to have involved in your care, and how they will work with you towards your goals.

4. Consider keeping a record of your goals

You may find it helpful to keep a record of your agreed goals of care.

Your healthcare team will keep record of any goals you tell us about in your medical record.

5. Remember that your goals can change

You may need to have more than one conversation with your healthcare team about your goals.

Over time or with change in circumstance, you may decide on new goals. This is OK - let us know if your goals have changed.

Download as a fact sheet

You can also download the information from this page as a fact sheet.

Contact us

For further information contact:

Patient Safety and Clinical Excellence

Phone: 03 9496 5000