Advance Care Planning Australia: our three year plan
A blog post written by Linda Nolte, Program Director, Advance Care Planning Australia
Advance Care Planning Australia is funded as part of the national palliative care programs and initiatives.
We are a proud member of this exceptional consortium of organisations whose collective efforts help ensure that more Australians can access the high-quality palliative care services they need. The 2018 National Palliative Care Strategy sets a vision for palliative care in Australia, with person-centred care as a guiding principle. This enables people to play an active role in making decisions about their care that is based on their values and preferences.
A key measure of high-quality palliative care is how well it is tailored to the individual and family. This can only be achieved when the individual understands and can voice their values and preferences and articulate what quality care and living well means to them.
As I reflect on the unfolding impacts of the current COVID-19 crisis from Melbourne, never before has this goal seemed so important or urgent.
Despite advance care planning legislation, national policy, quality standards, education and information resources, there is limited uptake of advance care planning and advance care directives by health and aged care providers. In 2018-19, ACPA’s national Advance Care Directive prevalence study found that only 25% of Australians aged 65 years and over in general practice, hospitals and residential aged care facilities had an advance care directive in their health record.
In a recent national survey of consumers, support people and health workforce found only 50% had an awareness of advance care planning and fewer understand it.
In this blog post I would like to share with you Advance Care Planning Australia’s objectives over the next three years.
At a macro level, our work plan aim is to improve national advance care planning coordination, uptake and resources, and enhance awareness and understanding.
At a more granular level our deliverables will include:
- greater focus on policy advocacy and ensuring ACP is referenced in relevant government and health sector policies and professional codes of conduct
- releasing a National ACP Audit Toolkit in consultation with our stakeholders to increase the uptake of quality ACP in the aged care sector and health services
- increasing consumer understanding and awareness though our National Advance Care Planning Week initiative, now in its third successful year
- strengthening our National Advance Care Planning Advisory Service to support consumers and health and aged care workforce and providers
- improving the usability of our website and online learning platform with a view to increasing our audience reach and impac
- updating the ACP Implementation Guide for Aged Care to align with the Aged Care Quality Standards
- providing workforce training and education through webinar events, our LMS hub and curriculum resources
- growing our ACPA volunteer program to support ACP uptake
- harnessing health and aged care sector expertise through the National ACP Engagement Advisory Group.
We look forward to working with our National Palliative Care Strategy partners towards the very timely and urgent goal of improving access to high-quality palliative care for all Australians.
ACP information and resources
Information: advancecareplanning.org.au
Advice: Call 1300 208 582, Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (AEST)
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About Advance Care Planning Australia
Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA) is the national authority on advance care planning and is funded by the Australia Government. ACPA delivers national advance care planning coordination via leadership, policy advocacy, communications and education and information resources for consumers, the health and aged care workforce and services. The ACPA program is informed by a range of national policy including the National Palliative Care Strategy and National Framework for ACP Documents, quality standards, law and expert advisors.
Linda Nolte, Program Director at Advance Care Planning Australia