Advance care plans and advance directives sound similar, and they are related, but they’re not quite the same thing. An Advance Care Plan is a way to start a conversation with those closest to you, those who hold your EPA, and your GP about your values, goals, and what your preferences are for current and future health care, including end-of-life care.
An advance directive (sometimes called a living will) outlines if there are specific medical treatments you would or would not want in specific situations in the future. These can be included within your advance care plan and are legally binding, so the clinician has to follow your wishes even if they believe it’s not in your best interests.
Read on to learn more about advance care plans and advance directives in more detail.
What is an Advance Care Plan?
Advance care planning is a way of thinking about and sharing your values, goals and preferences for current or future care, which is especially important if there ever comes a time where you can’t speak for yourself.
It could also include:
- What sort of funeral you would like
- Where your important papers are
- Who you want involved in discussions about your health
- Advance directives
Tō tātou reo | advance care planning have developed a 5-step process for developing a plan:
- What do you need to think about?
- Who do you need to talk to about it?
- What do you need to write down?
- Who will you give it to?
- When will you review it?
Take a look at their website to learn more and download helpful forms and templates.
What is an Advance Directive (also known as a living will)?
An advance directive outlines if there are specific medical treatments you would like or not like in a specific situation in the future. It might sound something like this: “I do not want CPR if my heart stops as part of an advanced illness” or “I do not want long-term artificial feeding if I am permanently unconscious or dying”.
Advance directives only come into play when you have lost the ability to consent to the treatment being offered to you because you are too unwell to communicate. They can be part of your advance care plan, or standalone, and they are legally binding if valid.
While you may wish to refuse medical treatment, which is a right under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights, the doctors following your directives must act within the law. They need to be assured that you were competent to make the decision at the time, that you were sufficiently informed and that you weren’t being pressured. They will also need to establish whether the directive applies to the situation at hand.
It’s important to let family, your Enduring Powers of Attorney and your healthcare team know you have made this plan and/or directive. Talk these issues over and review your plan and directive frequently. If this is done as a matter of course, family are ‘up to speed’ and health professionals in a better position to know your intentions when important decisions need to be made. Keep this document with your other important papers.
For more information, check out tō tātou reo | advance care planning.
Updated: 13 Jan 2026