What to Do With Your Completed Advance Care Planning Documents: A Step-by-Step Guide
April 16th is Canadian National Advance Care Planning Day — and there is no better time to make sure your medical care wishes will be known and acted on, before a crisis hits.
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is more than just a set of documents; it is a profound gift of clarity for yourself and those you love. It's about ensuring that if a day comes when you cannot speak for yourself — due to a sudden injury, a serious illness, or cognitive decline — your voice is still heard.
Sometimes, these documents are life-or-death important.
You and your chosen substitute decision-makers are responsible for "delivering" your values, beliefs, and healthcare preferences at every single point of care. Whether you are in an emergency department, a hospital ward, receiving home care, or moving into long-term care or hospice, your documents need to be right there with you.
"I've Completed My Documents... Now What?"
Completing your paperwork is a huge milestone — and you should feel proud. But the documents only work if people can find them when it matters most!
Below you’ll find the latest version of our guide, "What to Do With Your Completed ACP Documents." We've recently updated this resource to include detailed instructions on Setting Up Your Smartphone for Emergencies using Medical ID features — a simple step that could make a critical difference if you are ever found unresponsive or unable to communicate.
Read on to review, and I also invite you to download it, print it, and tuck it right into your ACP folder.
A Note: Why You May Need to Take the Lead
A quick but vital note: Many healthcare professionals have limited training in Advance Care Planning and may not think to ask for your documents. Don't let that discourage you! It simply means you are the expert here, and you can provide them yourself at every turn, without being asked.
Research supports this reality. A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that Advance Care Planning uptake remains low in primary care settings, in part because providers lack confidence and workflow support to initiate these conversations. The study demonstrated that when patients and dedicated coordinators drove the process, both engagement and documentation improved significantly. (Read the study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society)
If you ever feel unheard or unsupported, ask to speak with the unit's Social Worker — they are your best allies and are well-trained in the nuances of ACP.
Your Step-by-Step Delivery Guide: How to Share Your ACP Documents at Every Point of Care
1. The "Fridge" Tip
Keep a copy of your ACP documents (or a very clear note explaining where they are) on or beside your refrigerator. Emergency responders — including paramedics and first responders — are trained to look there first! This one small action can ensure your end-of-life wishes are found in a crisis.
Note: Our free In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) Form is designed to accompany your ACP documents.
2. The "Emergency Contact" Rule
Every time you provide personal information at a hospital or clinic, name your Representative (the person you've legally appointed for health decisions) as your number one emergency contact.
Remember: A Power of Attorney is for your finances; a Representative is for your life.
3. In the Emergency Department
Identify yourself and your role (ideally as the Health Representative) to the nurse immediately. Hand over the documents and clearly ask that they be reviewed and added to the patient's electronic health record. In a crisis, be assertive — the more serious the situation, the faster you need to get those documents into the right hands.
4. On a Hospital Ward
Give copies to the Patient Care Coordinator (PCC) or the Charge Nurse. They are usually the most familiar with these files. Review the documents with them and ensure they are placed prominently at the front of the chart.
5. Across the Continuum of Care: Home Care, Long-Term Care, and Hospice
Repeat this process with your community health case manager, at long-term care intake, and at the hospice unit. Your documents should "travel" with you through every transition — from hospital to home care to residential care and beyond.
Advance Care Planning Is a Journey, Not a Destination
The research is clear: Advance Care Planning is most effective when it is treated as an ongoing process — not a one-time checklist. Dr. Rebecca Sudore, a geriatrician and leading ACP researcher at the University of California, has spent over two decades demonstrating that the real power of advance care planning lies not in the documents themselves, but in the conversations and preparation behind them. Her landmark PREPARE for Your Care program showed that when patients were given accessible, easy-to-use tools, 98% increased their engagement in Advance Care Planning, and documentation in medical records rose from 8% to 43%. (Explore the PREPARE research at PREPAREforYourCare.org)
So keep having those vital conversations with your loved ones. Revisit your documents when your health changes, when your family circumstances shift, or simply when you have gained new clarity about what matters most to you.
You've Done the Hard Part — Now Let's Make Sure It Counts
If you've taken the time to think deeply about your values and put your wishes on paper, you have already done something remarkable — and something that many people never do. That takes courage, and love.
Now, take that next compassionate step and share your documents. Have the conversation with your Representative. Set up your Medical ID. Put that note on the fridge. And if someone you care about hasn't started this process yet, gently invite them into the conversation. You don't have to have all the answers — just be willing to start.
Let's make sure your wishes are known, respected, and followed — together.
A Gentle Nudge
If you have been putting off completing your Advanced Care Planning documents, or they keep falling to the bottom of your to-do list, or if you're waiting for some magic moment like a significant birthday… for all of the above reasons, now really is the time.
Did you know Patient Pathways offers one-on-one Advance Care Planning sessions that seamlessly integrate your medical wishes into the critical documents required by hospitals (aka MOST)? This level of personal planning goes above and beyond what any lawyer or notary offers in their boilerplate end-of-life documentation - at a considerably less cost.
