Planning ahead for your healthcare
Advance care planning helps make sure your future health care reflects what matters to you, even if illness or injury means you can’t speak for yourself.
Advance care planning is an ongoing process. You might start with a very simple approach and later add more details. Your wishes may change over time. The information below can help you understand the process.
Download this page as a PDF to save, print, or share.
Download printable PDFDeveloped with:
Cari Borenko
Ms. Borenko is a registered social worker and the regional lead of the Advance Care Planning (ACP) program at Fraser Health.
Reviewed by:
Cari Borenko, BA, BSW, RSW, Registered Social Worker
Eli Puterman, PhD, Professor, researcher
Grace Park, MD, CCFP, MBA, Professor, researcher
Last reviewed: May 2026
Disclaimer
This information is for general education purposes only and does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.
Written by:
Laura Busheikin
What you need to know
Advance care planning (ACP):
Is not just about death and dying
It is mostly about living, and how we cope with health challenges at any stage of life.
Should begin when you are young and healthy
Injury and illness can happen at any age and often take us by surprise. Advance care planning should begin when someone reaches adulthood. At any age, it’s hard to make good decisions during the stress of a health crisis.
Looks at the big picture, not just specific medical decisions
It is impossible to predict a future medical event and all the different ways it could play out. Instead, focus on decisions that will support your wishes and values.
Starts with meaningful conversations
Talk with your family, friends, and your health care team. Share what is important to you.
The biggest questions to discuss are “What gives your life meaning?” and “What does a good day look like?”
If you have a circle of close friends and family, talk to all or most of them. That way, they can support you, each other, and your decision-maker in the future.
Doesn’t need to cost anything
You do not need a lawyer for most situations. You can complete the paperwork yourself, including a Representation Agreement (a legally binding document that says who will make personal and health care decisions for you if necessary).
Find easy-to-use templates in the My Voice booklet below. (See “Workbooks and guides.”)
Know your terms
Advance care planning (ACP) means planning in advance for your future health care. This helps prepare others for a time when you can’t make your own decisions because of illness or injury.
Steps you can take today
Write or record your wishes
You don’t need to use formal language or follow a special format. You can use pen and paper or tap record on your phone.
Share what matters to you
Share this information with your family, friends, and health care team. This is a simple way to get started with advance care planning.
Later, you can use the free online workbooks and guides in Resources to develop a more detailed plan. (See “Workbooks and guides.”)
Why do I need to do advance care planning?
Advance care planning:
Reduces conflict during difficult times
It can reduce conflict among those who matter to you during times of illness and injury, and afterwards.
Reduces anxiety and stress
It can reduce anxiety and stress for relatives and friends when someone is ill.
Gives decision-makers peace of mind
It gives lasting peace of mind for people who make health care decisions for others. No one wants to wonder, years after a health event, if they made the right decision for someone else.
Helps your care reflect your values
It helps ensure your health care reflects your values and wishes.
The five steps of advance care planning
Five steps can help you plan for your future health care:
Think about what matters to you
Think about your values, what brings your life meaning and joy, and what a good day looks like for you.
Learn about your health
Learn about your current health and the treatments you may face in the future.
Choose who would speak for you
Decide who would speak for you if you’re unable to speak for yourself. This person will be your substitute decision-maker.
Talk to people who matter to you
Talk to people who matter to you about how you would like to live and how you feel about future health care decisions.
Record and share your thoughts
Record your thoughts, such as your life goals, fears, worries, and priorities. Then share copies with people who matter to you.
Remember: These steps don’t need to be done in order. You can start anywhere.
Resources you can access
Websites and organizations
A national organization offering:
Workbooks you can complete online, print, or download to create an advance care plan
Videos, webinars, toolkits, articles, FAQs, and a free e-newsletter
Resources for specific populations such as 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous and First Nations peoples, people who face inequities, and people in immigrant communities
Information on specific medical conditions
HealthLinkBC Advance Care Planning
A guide to advance care planning in BC
British Columbia Ministry of Health Advance Care Planning website
Written information and videos in English, Punjabi, and Chinese
Phone and email
Contact the advance care planning team at your regional health authority:
Fraser Health: Advance Care Planning
Interior Health: Advance Care Planning
Northern Health: Advance Care Planning
Vancouver Coastal Health: Advance Care Planning
Island Health: Advance Care Planning
First Nations Health Authority: Advance Care Planning
Find your regional health authority here
Workbooks and guides
My Voice
A workbook that leads you through the process of creating an advance care plan. Available in various lengths and formats and in Punjabi, simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. From the BC Ministry of Health.
An easy-to-read version with pictures and clear language
My Voice in Action (in English) and My Voice in Action (in Punjabi)
An action-oriented workbook that gets right to the process
A one-page info sheet that guides people through the basics and offers help using the longer-form booklet
My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment (in English)
A full-length 52-page booklet. Use it on its own or with one of the companion booklets above
My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment (in Punjabi, simplified Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese)
My Advance Care Planning Guide
Choose a full workbook or a mini guide. Print and digital options. From Advance Care Planning Canada
Videos
A collection of videos where people from various cultures share their stories and wisdom about living with serious illness, end of life, and grief. These stories honour culture, spirituality, and traditions while providing practical information to guide you. Includes First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Chinese, Ethiopian, Filipino, Indian, Iranian, Italian, Pakistani, and Somali voices
Advance care planning how-to videos
From Fraser Health. Available in English, Punjabi, French, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese
Resources for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples
Aboriginal Health: Advance Care Planning—Respecting Indigenous Ceremonies and Rites
This pamphlet looks at health care choices that reflect culture
Coming Full Circle: Planning for Your Care
Booklet and a fillable workbook, developed by a national Elders and Knowledge Carriers Circle and an Anishnaabekwe scholar
First Nations Health Authority website
Offers culturally specific information on advance care planning including Your Care, Your Choices: Workbook for Advance Care Planning
Resources for 2SLGBTQ+
Proud, Prepared, and Protected
A collection of advance care planning and other resources for people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. Includes:
Planning for My Care, a fillable workbook
My Choices for Safe and Inclusive Health Care, a fill-in-the-blanks document you can complete, print, and give to people close to you
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