Engaging Your Support Team
Family/Caregiver/Health Care Agent
Advance care planning involves people close to you because they know best what's important to you. Family and caregivers understand your beliefs, values, and wishes. Talking to them helps you choose your Health Care Agent, the person who will speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself.
Tell your family, caregivers, and chosen agent your treatment priorities so they can help doctors honor your wishes. Share your feelings on life support machines, medicines, food tubes if terminally ill, and more end-of-life choices.
Having your loved ones and Health Care Agent informed on your care instructions ahead of time, like in a living will, makes them ready to ensure you get the care you want. They can stand in for you using what you shared of your beliefs. Advance planning conversations bring you all peace of mind.
Podcast - Choosing a Health Care Agent
What makes a good health care agent, and some questions to ask before choosing one.
Think about people you know who share your views and values about life. Think about the people who mean the most to you. You may choose your spouse, an adult child, another family member, a friend, or a neighbor.
Trust is key. Who do you feel comfortable discussing your wishes with? Who do you trust to talk with health care providers about what matters to you? What would you want if you were not able to tell them yourself? You will want to choose a Health Care Agent who will follow your wishes, even if they do not agree with them, who will ensure your wishes are known, and who will advocate for you to get the care you want.
Once you have made a choice, be sure to talk with your Health Care Agent about your values, wishes and choices. You may want to ask them to watch the podcast I’ve Been Chosen as a Health Care Agent – Now What?
Podcast - I have been chosen as a health care agent. Now what?
How to fulfill the role of health care agent, and some decisions you might have to make.
VA Team: Your Social Worker
A VA social worker can guide you through the advance care planning process. They can help you:
- think about what matters most if you cannot make medical choices yourself,
- identify the key members of your support team,
- explain legal forms like living wills in simple language, and
- understand advance directive documents and help you complete them.
VA social workers help you get the medical care that matches your values if you are unable to speak for yourself. Find a VA Social Worker
VA Team: Advance Care Planning via Group Visits
Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) engages Veterans, caregivers, and those they trust by organizing group discussions that draws on personal experiences and encourages participants to identify a ‘next step’ to take in the process of planning for future health care needs. Participants are encouraged to consider what matters most to them.
All adults are welcome to attend a group session regardless of health status. Participants may choose to bring a person they trust, and knowledge of advance care planning is not necessary for participation.
ACP-GV sessions include:
- Discussions about selecting a health care agent
- Experiences with making health care decisions for others
- Considering how to start a conversation with loved ones
- Identifying goals and next steps
What's Your Plan? National Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) Program
In this video, a combat Veteran shares his experience as a participant in the Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) Program.
VA Team: Your Medical Provider
If you have questions about other types of Advance Care Planning talk with your primary care provider. If you are dealing with a life threatening illness or condition you may want to know more about some of the options below:
State-Authorized Portable Orders
Individual states have Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) or medical orders for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST). These are forms which provide guidance about your medical care so that health care professionals can act on immediately in an emergency. These orders are often documented on a brightly colored form that you keep on your refrigerator. They are filled out by your health care provider based on talking with you about your preferences. They serve as a medical order in addition to your advance directive.
Life -Sustaining Treatment Orders
Life-sustaining treatment orders are for Veterans with serious illness. They are legal medical orders which document of patients' preferences for treatments intended to prolong life and the related goals-of-care conversations. These orders are placed by a VA medical provider during a clinic visit or when the veteran is admitted to a VA hospital to assure that the Veterans wishes are followed.
Life-Sustaining Treatment orders include Do Not Resuscitate /Do Not Attempt Resuscitation as well as orders to limit or not place limits on one or more Life Sustaining Treatment which include artificial nutrition, artificial hydration, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and transfers to the hospital.
VA Team: Chaplain (Spiritual Support)
VA chaplains can provide spiritual support and assist in aligning your health care goals with your spiritual beliefs. They address religious, spiritual, moral, and ethical problems of Veterans and the families concerned. They can help you:
- Communicate with your caregivers and family
- Resolve conflicts between staff members, patients, and family members
- With decision making and understanding Advance Directives
- Get the support you need
VA Team: Burial Benefits
The National Cemetery Administration provides burial and memorial benefits for Veterans and their eligible family members, and maintains national cemeteries as national shrines, sacred to the honor and memory of those interred or memorialized there. The VA provides compassionate, professional services to ease families through the loss of their loved one. Learn more about VA Memorial Benefits by reviewing the video and the comprehensive resource guide listed below.
VA National Cemetery Administration - Resources Guide (42 pages)
Overview of VA memorial benefits and how to apply
The VA can help pay for burial costs even if the Veteran is buried in a private cemetery. Veterans and spouses can apply to determine eligibility at any time.
Organ and Tissue Donation
Some people choose to be an organ donor. If you have preferences about organ or tissue donation, tell your health care agent, loved ones, and health care provider.
