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Advance Care Planning

Health Care Decision Making With HPCMV

Making plans about your health care for your lifetime, a process called “Advance Care Planning,” empowers you to make choices about your health care and treatment wishes and makes them known to your family and your doctors. At Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard (HPCMV), our team educates and supports you through this process

Why Advance Care Planning Matters

When you make an advanced care plan, your personal values, preferences, and goals will guide your care team. The more you speak up, the more satisfied you will be with your health care. You can get the care that is right for you.

Advance care planning: 

  • Allows you to have a say in your care, putting you in the driver’s seat 
  • Ensures your wishes are known and acted upon 
  • Reduces stress and confusion for you, your relatives, and loved ones during critical moments 
  • Helps healthcare teams provide quality care that truly aligns with your values 
  • Gives you confidence and peace of mind about the future 

Click the tabs on the left to learn more about advance care planning! 

How We Can Help You Plan

Your choices matter, but it can be challenging to make sure they are properly documented, understood, and honored by the people in your life. Our team at HPCMV is here for you to make the advanced care planning process easier for everyone. Here’s what we do:

  • Guide one-on-one conversations about what matters most to you. We will ask you to reflect on your values, healthcare goals, and priorities.  
  • Help you designate a Health Care Agent, this is someone you trust to make decisions for you, in the event you can no longer communicate. 
  • Walk you through Honoring Choices planning tools and complete documents to state your preferences clearly, using legally sound forms. 
  • Facilitate conversations with the people who matter most to you about your care choices, and help them understand your wishes.  
  • Provide education and support for your family to help them prepare for what could happen and minimize their distress. 
  • Talk together with your doctors about what matters most to you, so you can get the care that’s right for you.  

Together, we’ll make sure your plan is meaningful, legally sound, and clearly communicated to those who will honor it.  

Click the tabs on the left to learn more about advanced care planning! 

Honoring Choices Advance Care Planning Resources 

At HPCMV, we partner with Honoring Choices Massachusetts (HCM) to provide templates and resources for easy advance care planning. HCM’s tools are widely recognized across the state for their clarity, legal alignment, and focus on meaningful conversations.

Honoring Choices Massachusetts provides:

  • Health Care Proxy forms, Personal Directive guides, and discussion guides (honoringchoicesmass.com)
  • Step-by-step planning processes

Tool kits like the “Getting Started Tool Kit,” “Next Steps Tool Kit,” and “Who’s your Agent?” to help you talk with family and care teams about what matters most across stages of health and illness, and document your wishes.

Learn More About Honoring Choices

Click the tabs on the left to learn more about advanced care planning! 

Core Documents We Use 

 

Health Care Proxy (Massachusetts)
Choose a trusted person (your Health Care Agent) to make healthcare decisions if you cannot do so. 

Personal Directive (Living Will)
Write down your instructions about the care you want or don’t want. This helps your agent and healthcare team understand your goals for treatment. 

Discussion Guides & Tool Kits
Conversation guides help you talk with family and care teams about what matters most across stages of health and illness. 

 

Click the tabs on the left to learn more about advanced care planning! 

Take the First Step 

Advance care planning is for adults of every age and health status — it’s about taking control of your healthcare future. Our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way. Call us at 508-693-0189 if you need support with advanced care planning.

 

Click the tabs on the left to learn more about advance care planning! 

FAQ

Who should do advance care planning?

Anyone over the age of 18, especially those with chronic illness or who want to ensure their healthcare wishes are respected.

Do I need a lawyer to create an advance directive?

No. HPCMV provides guidance and templates through Honoring Choices Massachusetts. Legal advice can be sought if you wish, but it’s not required.

Can I change my plan later?

Yes! Advance care plans can be updated anytime as your preferences or circumstances change.

What if my family disagrees with my wishes?

Our team helps facilitate conversations of what matters most to you so that your values and decisions are clear and understood. Clear documentation helps prevent confusion or conflict.

Does advance care planning cover only end-of-life care?

No. Advance care planning covers all aspects of healthcare decision-making, including treatments for serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and long-term care choices.

How does HPCMV support me through this process?

We guide you step-by-step using Honoring Choices Massachusetts tools, facilitate conversations with loved ones, and ensure your documents are complete, accessible, and legally valid.