Information tables will be set up at UHN hospitals on Thursday and Friday.
(Logo: advanceareplanning.ca)
Thursday, April 14, is National Advance Care Planning Day, which recognizes the process of thinking about and sharing your wishes for future health and personal care. It's a way of helping you tell others what would be important if you were ill and unable to communicate.
To mark the day, UHN's Advance Care Planning Champions and Bioethics team members will be setting up information tables with various resources to answer questions from staff, patients, family members and the general public. They will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on these days at these locations:
- Toronto Western Hospital, by Shoppers Drug Mart, – Thursday
- Toronto General Hospital, in Eaton lobby, – Thursday
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, in lobby across from gift shop, – Thursday
- Toronto Rehab (TR), University Centre, in lobby by Druxy's, – Thursday
- TR, Lyndhurst Centre, in lobby), – Thursday
- TR- Rumsey Cardiac and TR-Rumsey Neuro, – Thursday
- TR-Bickle Centre, in lobby, Friday
To mark the day, a couple of UHN staff offered their reflections
Bryan Chan, Clinical Fellow, Medical Oncology,says the goal is to get advance care planning into daily practice. (Photo: Bryan Chan)
"As oncologists, we are in a unique position to facilitate discussions around deeply personal and sensitive issues with our patients. Advanced care planning (ACP) is a good example. For some clinicians and patients alike, ACP isn't always easy to discuss or even introduce. Studies show that patients want clinicians to initiate the conversation, and for them to be earlier, rather than later. I've seen how much an open and honest conversation helps the treating team better understand a patient's values and beliefs, to then provide better, and more appropriate care. That's why we are looking at ways to integrate ACP into daily practice." – Bryan Chan
Tieghan Killackey, Registered Nurse and PhD candidate, says advance care planning “pays attention to family and friends’ role in a patient's journey." (Photo: Tieghan Killackey
"ACP also pays attention to family and friends' role in a patient's journey and creates space for them to contribute meaningfully.
Moreover substitute decision maker responsibilities become lighter because the patient's story, priorities and values are known and documented." – Tieghan Killackey
