Advance Care Planning
Three Helpful Steps
#1: Choose a person you trust to make health care decisions if you become too sick to make them yourself.
- Fill out the New England Cancer Specialists Health Care Agent Form (or another form). We are happy to help you complete this form.
- Give a copy of the form to your health care agent and to your New England Cancer Specialists team.
#2: Talk with your health care agent and health care team about what matters most to you.
- If you have questions about what the future might look like for your health, you can ask your New England Cancer Specialists team for information at any time.
- For help talking about your wishes with your health care agent, we recommend Your Conversation Starter Guide. Ask a member of your care team if you would like a paper copy, or you can find it online at The Conversation Project.
- If you would like support for these conversations, let your New England Cancer Specialists team know. We will connect you with members of our team who can help.
#3: Think about what you would want if you were to have a life-threatening medical emergency.
- It is your right to choose whether or not you undergo resuscitation or life-sustaining treatments if you experience a life-threatening condition in the future.
- You can ask for support in making decisions about treatments like CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), mechanical ventilation (breathing machine), artificial nutrition (feeding through a tube), and other treatments. Just let your New England Cancer Specialists team know, and we will help you consider the benefits and burdens of these treatments.
- A POLST (Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) is the best way to prevent resuscitation and life-sustaining treatments. Your New England Cancer Specialists team can help you complete this form at your request.
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