Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and writing down your wishes or instructions for present or future health care treatment in the event you become incapable of deciding for yourself. Your advance care plan should include information for a variety of situations including: hospital care during and after routine surgery, care in the event of an accident, or end-of-life decisions. In British Columbia advance directives, which are legal documents, are a legal option for all capable adults who want to do advance care planning.

The Ministry of Health encourages all capable adults in B.C. to do advance care planning, and take the further step of documenting their wishes and instructions for future health care using the tools available in the advance care planning guide, My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment (PDF 4.05 MB).

If you wish to order hard copies of My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment, visit the Crown Publications website or call them Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 250-387-6409 or toll-free at 1-800-663-6105. You may place an order for a single hard copy or multiple copies. Please note that a shipping and handling charge, plus applicable taxes will be applied to your order.

Visit the Seniors BC Making Future Health Care Decisions web page for additional information on advance care planning resources and information. Resources include videos on advance care planning in English, with Punjabi and Simplified Chinese subtitles available; brochures; tips on completing your advance care plan; and more.

For more information on advance care planning and end-of-life care, you may also click on the links below:

Advance Care Planning:

Advance Care Plan: What to Include

End-of-Life Care:

Last Reviewed: July 2013

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