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Advance care planning resources

These resources provide a directory of advance care planning (ACP) information to support you in this important process.

Getting started

ACP Information Packs

The Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning (ACP) can post a free Advance Care Planning Information Pack to you using the online order form.

Alternatively, instantly download the ACP Information Pack for Individuals (PDF, 15.5 MB) .

The information pack includes:

  • My Care, My Choices brochure
  • Statement of Choices Form (A and B)
  • Tips for completing Form A
  • Tips for completing Form B
  • Office of ACP information postcard
  • Office of Public Guardian fact sheets about Enduring Power of Attorney, Advance Health Directives and Statutory Health Attorney.

ACP discussion starters

Resources have been developed to normalise early conversations about the end-of-life, rather than waiting until more time-critical or medical-focused discussions need to occur.

These resources can be found in the following links:

Witnessing EPOA/AHD documents

It is a legal requirement for your EPoA and AHD documents to be signed by you and witnessed by an eligible witness. The eligible witness must sign and date your EPoA and AHD document.

An eligible witness is a person who is at least one of the following:

  • a justice of the peace (JP)
  • a commissioner for declarations (Cdec)
  • a lawyer
  • a notary public

You can search for your local area:

Local ACP contacts in your region

The Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning can help connect you to local ACP contacts in your region (where this is available).

Alternatively, you can contact ACP facilitators in the following areas:

ACP information for other states and territories

You can learn about ACP documents in other Australian jurisdictions on the Advance Care Planning Australia website.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) resources

If you are a person who identifies with another culture, you may have specific views about advance care planning and care at the end of life. In Australia, all adults, regardless of where they were born or what culture they identify with, have the right to make decisions about their future medical care and to have those choices respected.

The My Care, My Choices brochure explains the advance care planning process in simple terms and is available in a wide range of languages.

Advance Care Planning Australia also has a range of translated resources available.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Advance Care Yarning

Advance care yarning is the process of letting others know about what you want for your future and ongoing health care.

  • It can mean thinking, talking and deciding on what matters to you.
  • It gives you a chance to let others know your wishes, values, beliefs and choices.
  • This tells family and health are staff the information needed to respect your choices, your way, when you cannot speak for yourself.

Tailored resources developed with and for First Nations Queenslanders are now available to support advance care yarning.

For more information and resources about advance care yarning visit:

My Statement of Choices

Advance Care Planning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people requires culturally sensitive conversations.

To help consumers feel more comfortable having these conversations the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Consumer Advisory Committee, which is comprised of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, non-Indigenous and Mental Health consumers, worked with the Statewide Office of Advance Care Planning to adapt the Statement of Choices coversheet to be more user-friendly and explain the concept of Advance Care Planning from a culturally appropriate view.

Although the changes were made with Torres and Cape York consumers in mind, use of this version of the form by anyone, regardless of where they live—is welcomed.

LGBTIQA+ ACP resources

Advance care planning can help mitigate discrimination, particularly in ensuring that same-sex partners and other family members of choice are involved in end-of-life care and decision-making.

For people with capacity, this can be formalised by appointing a substitute decision-maker through an enduring power of attorney, or by completing an advance health directive.

Queensland Health is committed to ensuring care at the end of life is available to all LGBTIQ+ people with life-limiting conditions, their carers and family members of choice, and is accessible, inclusive and affirms their right to dignity, respect and confidentiality.

Read more at:

ACP for children and young people

Advance care planning provides an opportunity for children and young people, and their decision makers to think about their wishes and preferences for health care into the future, particularly if the child/young person is unwell.

Children and young people under 18 can participate in advance care planning; however, they cannot complete formal ACP documents, such as an Advance Health Directive or EPOA.

The Paediatric Palliative Care Service in Children’s Health Queensland can help with advance care planning.  They can be contacted by Phone: (07) 3068 4699 or Email: ppcs@health.qld.gov.au.

Paediatric Statement of Choices

The Paediatric Statement of Choices is a values-based document used to record a child/young person’s views, wishes and preferences for their health care. Its purpose is to guide or inform those who need to make health care decision when a child or young person is unable to make those decisions for themselves. It is not legally binding and does not provide consent to health care in advance.

There are two different forms for the Paediatric Statement of Choices:

  • Form A – is used by a young person with decision-making competence.
  • Form B – is used by parents (or guardian/delegated officer) of a child or a young person requiring support with decision-making.

The Paediatric Statement of Choices document will be available soon.

Other related resources

Last updated:
23 July 2024
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