Over Sixty Spring 2022 Digital

3 NEWS OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | ISSUE 2 | 2022 NEWS RACHEL FIELDHOUSE NEWS W hen planning for unforeseeable life events, the majority of older Austral- ians limit organising their affairs to signing a will and purchasing life insurance. But the health sector is now calling for advance care plans (ACP) to form part of this essen- tial preparedness, to ensure an individual’s end-of-life wishes and preferences for care and medical treatment are carried out. Yet while 88% of Australians believe that end-of-life planning is important, accord- ing to findings of a 2022 community sur- vey conducted by Palliative Care Australia, the numbers of people who actually have an ACP remains low. Just 15% of Australi- ans have completed an ACP, according to a 2021 audit conducted by Advance Care Planning Australia. Of this 15%, the majority of ACPs were held for people living in aged care facili- ties (47%), only 15.7% in acute hospitals, and just 3.2% among those still living in- dependently who developed their ACP in consultation with their GP. Unlike a will, power of attorney or en- during guardianship, an ACP does not involve a lawyer, despite it being a legally recognised document. It can be prepared in discussion with a GP, hospital staff or aged care facility administrators/staff. An advance care plan ensures a person’s pref- erences for medical treatment and care are respected, particularly when they are no longer able to express those wishes them- selves. “Without such a plan, you may have no voice to guide those decisions and no choice as to what decisions are made on your behalf,” says AMA Vice President Dr Chris Moy. “It benefits everyone, the patient, their family, carers and health pro- fessionals and is particularly important for people with advanced chronic illness, a life-threatening illness, who are aged 75+ years or at risk of losing competence.” For aged-care worker Maree, knowing a resident has a plan in place ensures she and her colleagues honour their wishes regarding resuscitation, transportation and medical treatment. “A lot of old peo- ple get to that stage [where] they say, ‘Look I’m waiting to go. I’ve had enough of this life,’” she says. Having a list of what treat- ments they may or may not want during their end-of-life days, when they may not be able to communicate their wishes effec- tively, is vital. Maree explains that it’s not uncommon for a resident’s final hours to be spent with the facility’s staff, who will maintain a close vigil during the person’s final hours. “[We] will hold their hand when we know the time’s close.” With a plan in place, she adds, those final moments can be calmer and more assured. Advance care planning numbers too low Dr Moy urges people to speak with their GP, who can assist with the planning pro- cess by discussing any current and pos- sible future health situations, as well as conduct regular reviews of any existing ad- vance care plan. Need more information? You can visit www.advancecareplanning.org.au to order a free information pack to start the ACP process or call the National Advance Care Planning Support Service on 1300 208 582. An important exclusion Advance care plans cannot be used to ask another person to deliberately end the life of the person making the directive – this is a distinctly separate law. With New South Wales parliament pass- ing the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill in May this year, all six states in Australia will legally permit Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) or euthanasia once the NSW legislation comes into effect at the end of 2023. Only in the Aus- tralian Capital Territory and Northern Terri- tory will VAD remain illegal, as Common- wealth laws currently prevent either territory from passing VAD laws. VAD covers the assistance given to a per- son by a health practitioner to end their life. The term ‘voluntary’ means the person has the decision-making capacity to choose when and how to end their lives. A family member or other responsible person cannot request VAD on behalf of an individual. A key criteria to be eligible for VAD is that a person must be capable of decision-mak- ing, while an advance care plan is designed to protect an individual’s preferences only once their decision-making capacity is di- minished or no longer exists. When and who can access VAD differs from state to state and also involves fulfill- ing certain strict criteria. Eligible people can already request the procedure in Victo- ria, Western Australia and Tasmania, while Queensland, South Australia and NSW resi- dents will be able to access VAD from Janu- ary 1, 2023; January 31, 2023; and November 28, 2023, respectively. For more on each state’s VAD criteria, visit www.end-of-life.qut.edu.au/assisteddying Many aged care facilities encourage incoming residents to prepare an advance care plan For more advice on how to plan for and create an advance care plan, visit www. advancecareplanning. org.au Photo: Getty Images CONTENTS NEWS 03 Current affairs and events OPINION 08 Share your thoughts LIVE WELL 10 Health, diet and exercise YOUR MONEY 15 Financial health in retirement DOWNSIZING 17 Explore all of the available options LIFESTYLE 18 Reminisce, pets and garden ENTERTAINMENT 22 Celebrity profile, what’s on PUZZLES 30 Crossword, sudoku and more TRAVEL 32 Cruising, domestic and international travel CONTACT US OverSixty is published by Direct Publishing Pty Ltd General Manager Rohan Scott Group Editor Louise Waterson Head of Digital Content Greg Barton Editor Zoë Meunier Ad Sales Director Sheron White Editorial Enquiries newspaper@oversixty.com.au Advertising Enquiries Michael Grenenger michael@oversixty.com.au Distribution enquiries despatch@oversixty.com.au Mail OverSixty, PO Box 6458, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Cordless SAVE $ 30 ! 45 minutes of power from a 3 hour charge VIDEO ONLINE VIDEO ONLINE Extendable pole www.innovations.com.au 1300 303 303 W inner of a prestigious Singapore Design Award , this light yet powerful vacuum cleaner extends to 170 cm long. 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