Hepburn Shire residents are encouraged to start thinking about the paperwork that comes with death, and look ahead in National Advance Care Planning week.
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A free ‘Doing the Dying Paperwork’ session will take place in Daylesford this Thursday and will provide attendants with a list of 10 items to prepare.
The list includes preparing a will, nominating a medical treatment decision maker, nominating an advance care directive to guide your doctors and medical treatment decision maker and organising an enduring power of attorney for someone to handle your affairs if you are unable to do so.
Other items to prepare include organising after-death arrangements like a funeral and wake, a list of people to notify, information for a death certificate, a list of where everything is and what to do with it, how to take care of animals and any other special instructions, as well as a list of other details, such as what to put in your obituary.
The informal event, hosted by Mary-Faeth Chenery, will provide attendants with relevant information, the forms and guidance on how to complete them.
Jo Dalton from the Hepburn Health Service will also attend to advise on the laws around advance care plans and medical decision-makers.
Advance care planning promotes individual care consistent with an individual’s goals, values, beliefs and preferences while promoting conversations with loved ones to plan for future health care decisions.
Advance Care Planning Australia medical director Dr Karen Detering said evidence indicated advance care planning could help to alleviate stress for people who find themselves asked to make medical decisions for loved ones.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said advance care planning is a critical part of healthy ageing.
“Around half of Australians will not be able to make their own end-of-life decisions, yet few people take the active steps required to enable control of their future health care,” Minister Hunt said.
“The week will challenge all Australians to start conversations with loved ones about what living well means to them.”
This is the first time National Advance Care Planning Week is happening in Australia and is part of an international public awareness effort, coinciding with efforts in the USA, Canada and New Zealand.
More than 100 groups and organisations across Australia have signed up to host an event as part of the initiative.
The session will be held at 21A Raglan Street, Daylesford on April 19 from 2.00pm -4.00pm.
Further sessions will be held during the year.
