Advance care planning

What is it about?

When a couple both have comorbidities that mean hospitalisation of one will have serious implications for the other then pre-emptive discussions could help alleviate risk and ensure that a plan is formulated for this possibility

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Why is it important?

A growing ageing population has many elderly couples living in a situation of social isolation where they depend upon each other day to day. This situation becomes a crisis if one of them suffers a bout of ill health or hospitalisation or death. Identification and planning can help to ensure that in these situations the couples wishes are respected and additional care and assistance is planned for rather than putting stress on emergency health and social services.