Advance care planning at life milestones

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Health Policy

Background:

• Advance care planning (ACP) has evolved from a static checklist to a dynamic, lifelong process.
• Traditional ACP often focuses on end-of-life issues, neglecting earlier life stages.
• Recognizing life's milestones is crucial for timely and relevant ACP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for an integrated approach to advance care planning.
• To emphasize the importance of initiating and revisiting ACP throughout adulthood.
• To shift ACP focus from crisis-driven to a proactive, milestone-based model.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on ACP evolution and adult developmental stages.
• Analysis of the impact of life events on healthcare decision-making.
• Conceptual framework development for iterative ACP.

Main Results:

• ACP is most effective when initiated early in adulthood.
• Life stages and significant events (career, marriage) necessitate ACP updates.
• Delaying ACP until hospitalization or severe illness limits its efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Advance care planning should be an iterative process integrated into adult life.
• Routine discussions at life milestones enhance ACP relevance and completion.
• Proactive, early ACP empowers individuals and improves healthcare alignment.