60 2.7.3 Advance Care Planning

Integrating a palliative approach includes engaging in Advance Care Planning (ACP) conversations with the person living with chronic diseases at the time of diagnosis. Many LTC residents face declining decision-making capacity due to rising cognitive decline rates, underscoring the importance of early ACP discussions.

Benefits of ACP:

• ACP discussions help residents reflect on their values and wishes for future care and sharing them with trusted individuals
• ACP is not same as completion of one time level of care form/advance directives
• ACP discussions are crucial in care plans, lead to better resident outcomes, enhanced care satisfaction & reduced hospitalizations^{[1][2][3][4][5]}