If you were suddenly taken ill, who would know?
There may be times in your life when you wonder about what would happen if you were to become seriously ill.
It may be at a time of ill health or as a result of a life-changing event. Or it may simply be because you are the sort of person who likes to plan ahead.
Planning ahead can help you, your partner, friends or relatives and your doctor know your wishes just in case something unexpected happens.
Not everyone will choose to have a conversation like this and that is fine. However, talking about your wishes and planning ahead means you can make sure what is important to you is known by the people who care about you. They can also help you to make decisions about concerns or practical issues.
Planning ahead can improve patient and family satisfaction in the care they receive and may reduce stress and anxiety amongst those who are important to you.
It can help to write down what your wishes and preferences are for future care and treatment.Â
More information can be found below:
-  – further information and support from the NHS website
-  – Dying Matters is a coalition of 32,000 members across England and Wales which aims to help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life
- ,Ìý – This booklet explains how you can plan ahead for your future care. It discusses creating a Lasting Power of Attorney, writing down how you’d like to be cared for using a Preferred Priorities for Care document and writing Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment. It also has information about making a will, organ and tissue donation, and funeral planning
-  – ReSPECT stands for Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment. The ReSPECT process consists of conversations with you, and other people you wish to involve, that create personalised recommendations for your care and treatment in situations where you are not able to make decisions or express your views. For more information about ReSPECT visit theÂ