How to get started
At Rosedale Home for Special Care, Goals of Care are an important part of your overall care plan. Goals of Care discussions can be raised at any time as your care wishes evolve or change. Below are tips to help you prepare for your first Goals of Care discussion with your Rosedale healthcare team.
Step 1: Think about your beliefs, values and concerns. What brings quality to your life? What do you value, or what is important in your life, gives it meaning.
Step 2: Learn about your existing medical conditions, talk to your doctor and other healthcare providers. Ask about your prognosis – what you might expect to experience in the future because of these conditions. Learn about possible treatments for existing and future health conditions and about the type of care decisions you may be asked to make in the future. Learning about your medical condition and what to expect can help you to decide what is important to you.
Step 3: Decide on your Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) – the person or persons who will make your healthcare decisions for you if you are mentally incapable of making your own decisions. You may have more than one SDM.
Step 4: Talk About Your Wishes: your substitute decision maker must understand your wishes and why you have chosen one course of action rather than another. You may communicate these wishes verbally, in writing, by video, braille and/or any other manner you like.
Step 5: Record your future care wishes – If you choose to record your future care wishes, be sure to complete the form as required, called an Advance Directive, and inform your substitute decision maker(s), those closest to you and the health care team.
Here is a guide for you to consider.