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. For information about advance care planning in B.C., including tools to get started making a plan, visit the links below.
B.C. Resources
Advance Care Planning - Making Future Health Care Decisions
For information on advance care planning information and resources in British Columbia, including videos (Punjabi and Simplified Chinese subtitles available), brochures, tips on completing your advance care plan, or answers to frequently asked questions, click on the links below.
Expected/Planned Home Deaths
In British Columbia, individuals have the right to choose to die at home. For information about how to have an expected/planned death at home, click on the link below.
My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment
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. Click on the links below for more information.
- My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment (PDF 4.05 MB)
- Punjabi Version (PDF 1.02 MB)
- Simplified Chinese Version (PDF 1.10 MB)
If you are interested in hard copies of My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment, please visit the Crown Publications website to place your order online or order by phone 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.
No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Form (No CPR Form)
In B.C., the No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Form provides you and your physician with a legal option to order that no CPR be provided by health care providers and first responders. Click on the link below for more information.
Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST)
Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) are medical orders. They are a way for your doctor to communicate your treatment wishes and decisions with other doctors and health-care providers who may be involved in your care. Through advance care planning discussions, you and your doctor will explore your values and the range of treatments available.
For medical orders for scope of treatment (MOST) information and resources from your health authority, click on the links below.
- Fraser Health: Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment
- Interior Health: Medical Orders for Scope Treatment (MOST)
- Island Health: Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST)
- Northern Health: Advance Care Planning
- Vancouver Coastal Health: Learning More About Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Legal Information
The Ministry of Justice provides additional legal information useful for your advance care planning. To learn more, click on the link below.
Your Health Authority
For advance care planning information and resources from your health authority, click on the links below.
- First Nations Health Authority: BC Elders’ Guide (PDF 1.40 MB)
- Fraser Health: Advance Care Planning
- Interior Health: Advance Care Planning
- Island Health: Advance Care Planning
- Northern Health: Advance Care Planning
- Vancouver Coastal Health: Advance Care Planning
For More Information
For general information about advance care planning, caregiver support, end of life care, and organ donation, click on the links below.
Advance Care Planning
- Advance Care Planning
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Have Artificial Hydration and Nutrition?
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Receive CPR and Life Support?
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Stop Kidney Dialysis?
- Advance Care Planning: Should I Stop Treatment That Prolongs My Life?
- Advance Care Planning: What to Include
- Choosing a Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM)
Caregiver Support
- Caregiver Support: Talking About Advance Care Planning
- Caregiver Tips
- Quick Tips: Reducing the Stress of Caregiving
End-of-Life Care
- Care at the End of Life
- Hospice Palliative Care
- Last Days of Life (PDQ®): Supportive Care - Patient Information
Organ Donation
Last Updated: March 2019