Full Definition

Advance care planning (ACP) is an ongoing process — not a one-time document — through which a person clarifies their values, establishes goals for future medical care, and communicates those preferences to their family members and healthcare providers. ACP ideally includes conversations with loved ones, completion of legal advance directive documents, and regular revisiting of those preferences as health status changes.

Effective advance care planning addresses questions like: What does quality of life mean to this person? Under what circumstances would they want aggressive medical intervention, and when would comfort and dignity take priority? Who do they trust to make decisions for them? What are they most afraid of? What matters most to them at this stage of life?

ACP conversations are most effective when they happen before a crisis — when a senior is well enough to think clearly, communicate their wishes, and participate meaningfully in the process. Studies consistently show that people who have engaged in advance care planning are more likely to receive care aligned with their wishes and less likely to receive unwanted aggressive intervention at end of life.

In Texas, the Texas Advance Directive Registry allows residents to register their advance directives electronically so they are accessible to healthcare providers statewide. Families should ensure that advance directives are accessible wherever care is provided — at home, in the facility record, and with the healthcare proxy.