Who would speak for you and what would they say?

Advance care planning is a process that allows people to identify values, goals, and preferences for future medical care. It provides direction when a person is unable to talk about their own health care choices and can help families and/or people that matter understand what to do in case of an emergency. Advance care planning includes advance directive documents as well as ongoing conversations with loved ones and decision-makers.

What is an advance directive?

An advance directive is a legal document(s) that tells your health care team your wishes about what you do or don’t want for your medical care when you are not able to make these decisions for yourself. This can be as simple as filling out Medical Durable Power of Attorney form at home that states who will make decisions for you if you cannot.

Why do I need an advance directive?

Everyone over the age of 18 should have at minimum a Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA) and a conversation about their health care wishes with those who matter most. This gives you the power to make sure your health care wishes are respected. These conversations should be ongoing and happen throughout life. Advance care planning is not only for end-of-life, it is for everyone.

What advance directive is right for me?

The Colorado Health Institute website provides information about advance directives in Colorado.

What should I do right now?

• Name and document a Medical Durable Power of Attorney (MDPOA). You can complete the form at home (no attorney needed) and give it to the people who matter to you.
  • Medical Durable Power of Attorney form ( English )
  • Medical Durable Power of Attorney form ( Spanish )

  Resources and tools for advance care planning
  

  Expand All The Conversation Project

  The Conversation Project® is a public engagement initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Their goal is to help everyone talk about their wishes for care through the end of life to ensure people's wishes are understood and respected.

  • 10 Resources to Help Reach Spanish-speaking Audiences is a blog post with resources either in Spanish or with Spanish subtitles.
  • What Matters to Me: A Workbook for People with Serious Illness is designed to help people with serious illnesses get ready to talk to their health care team about what is most important to them.
  • Your Conversation Starter Guide can help start important conversations around advance care planning and what you would want if you were not able to speak for yourself. The guide is available in many languages.
  Larimer Advance Care Planning

  The Health District of Larimer County website's Advance Care Planning section provides links to downloadable advance care planning documents:

  • Medical Durable Power of Attorney
  • Living will
  • CPR directive
  • Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST)
  • Directivas Anticipadas en español

  There are additional advance care planning resources including:

  • Recursos en en español
  • Resource page with PDFs and links.
  • Advance care planning FAQ
  The Iris Project

  The Iris Project offers education, advocacy, and consulting services to private, professional, and community clients.

  • The Advance Care Planning Flowchart illustrates which advance directive tools are appropriate for which person in which stage of illness, with prompting questions to help in making decisions.
  Prepare for Your Care™

  The Prepare for Your Care™ website provides a step-by-step program with videos to help you create the right advance directive for you. Materials are also available in Spanish.
  

  Colorado Care Planning

  The Colorado Care Planning website offers tools and resources for advanced care planning in English and Spanish.
  

  Center for Improving Value in Health Care

  The Medical Order Scope of Treatment (MOST) form

  The Center for Improving Value in Health Care in partnership with the Colorado Advance Directive Consortium (CADC), is the new home for the Medical Order Scope of Treatment (MOST) form. A resource for the seriously ill, the MOST form summarizes and consolidates important information about a patient’s preferences for life-sustaining treatments including: CPR, artificial nutrition, and hydration.

  Advance Care Planning in Colorado webinar

  The Center for Improving Value in Health Care Advance Care Planning in Colorado webinar provides an overview of Advance Care Planning, why it is important for everyone, and how to get started, or continue, on your Advance Care Planning journey.

  Patient Activated Learning System

  What is advance care planning?

  The Patient Activated Learning System 2-minute video What is advance care planning? explains what advance care planning is.