Take it from Graeme: it pays to plan ahead in health

Meet Graeme, who enjoys a busy family life in Adelaide.

Graeme is a Consumer Advocate in the Heart and Lung Program at Central Adelaide Local Health Network and an outpatient at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Graeme received a heart transplant in 2019. At that time he had an advance care directive in place to provide guidance for his family if they needed to make medical care decisions on his behalf.

However, that wasn’t the case only a few years prior, when Graeme’s health declined suddenly due to an acute heart condition. When he went into organ failure Graeme’s family found themselves in a tough place.

“That experience put into very sharp focus the need for me to take action to get my plans and documentation in order,” Graeme says.

“After the significant challenges my wife faced during the first admission – when she had to make many medical decisions – I made sure all the necessary documentation about my intentions, both life and healthcare, were quickly put in place.”

Life can change in an instant

9-15 September 2024 is Plan Ahead Week, which aims to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits of advance care planning.

Advance care planning involves considering, documenting, and sharing your wishes, choices, and beliefs, by completing an advance care directive and an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) document. These provide clear guidance to others if you are unable to speak yourself.

Graeme emphasises that even people in good health should consider advance care planning.

“My personal experience illustrates the fragility of life,” he says.

“Significant medical, health, workplace and transportation events can happen any time, without notice, whether you are a fit and healthy young adult or someone older – these events do not discriminate by age, sex, health, education, financial position or where you live.”

“If you experience one of these events you may not have any warning and you certainly won’t have the time or capacity to worry about gathering your thoughts and documentation together as you will be literally focusing all your energy on staying alive.”

Care that aligns with your values

Dr Christine Drummond is senior medical consultant in palliative care at Central Adelaide Local Health Network. Every day she works with patients and families who are navigating through decisions towards the end of life.

Dr Drummond agrees everyone should consider planning ahead in health.

“Planning ahead isn’t just for those who have incurable disease – it’s also really important for well people,” she says.

In the case of an accident or sudden illness, important healthcare decisions need to be made fast.

“As doctors, we want to offer care that aligns with your values and priorities,” Dr Drummond says.

“The best way to make sure that can happen is for people to take time to appoint a substitute decision-maker, prepare an advance care directive, and make sure it’s somewhere easily accessible just in case your family needs it.”

Pay it forward

Following Graeme’s acute health crisis in 2017 his wife was acting on his behalf for over six months.

“All the decisions about keeping me alive, the surgery, activating income protection on my superannuation, getting financial support – it was incredibly tough on her to have to deal with all of that, as well as the emotional challenges for her and our family,” Graeme says.

Graeme says advance life care planning can ease stress for your family in very difficult circumstances.

“Surely an hour of your time now communicating your plans and thoughts is well worth knowing you could ease the burden they might face one day?” he says.

“Time is something you can never get back – but by planning ahead, you can pay that time forward to your loved ones for whenever they need it.”