What does planning ahead involve?

Planning ahead together involves you talking with the person you care for about what they want and don’t want in terms of their future care, final days, and after death. Planning ahead involves recording their wishes, so you, the wider family, and health and social care professionals know what to do in the future.  

Questions that you might want to think about with the person you care for include:

• Where do they want to be looked after in the future?
• Where would they like to be looked after in their final days?
• What cultural or spiritual needs would they like to be taken into account for example religious practices, particular foods to avoid?
• Is there anything important to their identity for example preferred name and pronouns, certain preferred clothes?
• Who do they want to spend time with and doing what in the future?
• What would be their wishes about their care if they were unable to make their own decisions?
• Would they like to appoint someone to make decisions for them if they are unable to make them themselves? 
• Are there any other practical things they need to think about e.g. pet care?
• Have they thought about what they would like to happen when they die for example planning their funeral or prepaid funeral plan?  

Compassion in Dying have produced a guide on planning ahead for the LGBT community Your treatment and care: planning ahead for the LGBT community (PDF).

1. Although it feels hard, have that important conversation about dying and death.
2. Encourage the person to talk to relevant health and social care professionals and other family members so they know about their wishes too.
3. Encourage the person you care for to write down their wishes, although they don’t have to. If their wishes are written down it will be much easier for everyone providing care and treatment to understand. There are different forms and templates to help with this.
4. Whilst the person you care for is still able to make decisions about their own health and welfare, consider with them if they wish to plan ahead in one or more of the following ways:
• Advance statement and Advance decision to refuse treatment
• Lasting Powers of Attorney for health and welfare
• Advance Care Plan