What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning is a process that allows people to identify values, goals, and preferences for future medical care. It provides direction when a person is unable to talk about their own health care choices and can help families and/or people that matter understand what to do in case of an emergency. Advance care planning includes advance directive documents as well as ongoing conversations with loved ones and decision-makers.
What is an advance directive?
An advance directive is a legal document(s) that tells your health care team your wishes about what you do or don’t want for your medical care when you are not able to make these decisions for yourself. This can be as simple as filling out Medical Durable Power of Attorney form at home that states who will make decisions for you if you cannot.
Why do I need an advance directive?
Everyone over the age of 18 should have at minimum a Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA) and a conversation about their health care wishes with those who matter most. This gives you the power to make sure your health care wishes are respected. These conversations should be ongoing and happen throughout life. Advance care planning is not only for end-of-life, it is for everyone.
What advance directive is right for me?
The Colorado Health Institute website provides information about advance directives in Colorado.
What should I do right now?
- Name and document a Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA). You can complete the form at home (no attorney needed) and give it to the people who matter to you.
- An MDPOA names a Health Care Agent to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to speak for yourself.
- There are many legal MDPOA and Advance Directive forms available. Choose what is best for you.
- Discuss your values and wishes with your MDPOA and people who matter most to you so they know what kind of care you would want (tools below can help guide these conversations).
- Keep your advance directive document ready and available. Make sure your MDPOA, loved ones, and all your healthcare providers have a copy. Your providers may not ask, but you must advocate for your healthcare needs and wishes. Even a picture of the document on your phone is helpful in an emergency.
Resources and tools for advance care planning
The Conversation Project® is a public engagement initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Their goal is to help everyone talk about their wishes for care through the end of life to ensure people's wishes are understood and respected.
- 10 Resources to Help Reach Spanish-speaking Audiences is a blog post with resources either in Spanish or with Spanish subtitles.
- What Matters to Me: A Workbook for People with Serious Illness is designed to help people with serious illnesses get ready to talk to their health care team about what is most important to them.
- Your Conversation Starter Guide can help start important conversations around advance care planning and what you would want if you were not able to speak for yourself. The guide is available in many languages.
The Health District of Larimer County website's Advance Care Planning section provides links to downloadable advance care planning documents:
- Medical Durable Power of Attorney
- Living will
- CPR directive
- Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST)
- Directivas Anticipadas en español
There are additional advance care planning resources including:
- Recursos en en español
- Resource page with PDFs and links.
- Advance care planning FAQ
The Iris Project offers education, advocacy, and consulting services to private, professional, and community clients.
- The Advance Care Planning Flowchart illustrates which advance directive tools are appropriate for which person in which stage of illness, with prompting questions to help in making decisions.
The Prepare for Your Care™ website provides a step-by-step program with videos to help you create the right advance directive for you. Materials are also available in Spanish.
The Colorado Care Planning website offers tools and resources for advanced care planning in English and Spanish.
The Medical Order Scope of Treatment (MOST) form
The Center for Improving Value in Health Care in partnership with the Colorado Advance Directive Consortium (CADC), is the new home for the Medical Order Scope of Treatment (MOST) form. A resource for the seriously ill, the MOST form summarizes and consolidates important information about a patient’s preferences for life-sustaining treatments including: CPR, artificial nutrition, and hydration.
Advance Care Planning in Colorado webinar
The Center for Improving Value in Health Care Advance Care Planning in Colorado webinar provides an overview of Advance Care Planning, why it is important for everyone, and how to get started, or continue, on your Advance Care Planning journey.
What is advance care planning?
The Patient Activated Learning System 2-minute video What is advance care planning? explains what advance care planning is.