Mental health and wellbeing in primary care services: resources

26. Care Planning

26.3 Future Care Planning

Future care planning was until recently referred to as anticipatory care planning (ACP). Healthcare Improvement Scotland have developed a Future Care Planning Toolkit which is a person-centred, proactive approach to help people consider what is important to them and plan for their future care. Undertaking future care planning is particularly beneficial for those:

• living with one or multiple long term health conditions
• living with disabilities and/or complex health and care needs
• whose health and wellbeing is changing or deteriorating due to physical and/or mental health issues
• approaching the end of their life, and
• children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Future care plans help improve shared decision making but is not a legal document. You can find out more about future care planning in different contexts here.

26.4 My Power of Attorney – Scotland

A Power of Attorney is a legal process giving someone you trust the power to make decisions that will protect you, your family and those you care about should you ever lose capacity to make decisions for yourself. It has never been more important to plan your future care – no matter what age you are, a Power of Attorney safe-guards your financial and health wishes. Visit My Power of Attorney Scotland, the Scottish Government’s code of practice for continuing and welfare attorneys and the Office of the Public Guardian’s guidance for Power of Attorneys, for more information.