Advance Care Planning Week Encourages People to Think About Future Care
16 Mar 2026
Advance Care Planning Week is being marked from 16 to 22 March 2026, encouraging people to take time to think about their future healthcare choices. This year’s theme, “Your story, your choice,” highlights the importance of planning ahead and making sure personal wishes are known.
South Western Sydney Primary Health Network is reminding people that advance care planning allows individuals to record the type of medical or dental care they would want if they became seriously ill, injured or unable to communicate.
What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning helps people outline their healthcare preferences for the future. This includes decisions about treatments they would or would not like to receive.
Health experts recommend that everyone consider making a plan, regardless of their age or current health. However, it can be particularly important for people who are older, living with chronic illness, experiencing early cognitive decline or approaching the end of life.
Creating an advance care directive
Part of the process may involve writing a legally binding advance care directive. This document can include instructions about medical treatment and resuscitation.
A GP may also ask patients to complete a form for the NSW Ambulance so paramedics understand which treatments or medications should be provided if they are called.
Once completed, the plan should be shared with a GP, family members and anyone involved in a person’s healthcare or legal decisions. The document can be updated or changed at any time.
Workshops available in South Western Sydney
To help people start the process, South Western Sydney Primary Health Network has commissioned the Palliative Aged Care Consultancy Service (PACCS) to run advance care planning workshops. The program is funded through the Australian Government Primary Health Network Program.
The workshops are led by trained facilitators who guide participants through the importance of planning ahead and how to prepare an advance care plan or directive.
Community members are also supported to discuss their future healthcare wishes and complete the necessary documents.
Upcoming workshop
A community workshop will be held on:
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27 March 2026
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10:30 am – 11:30 am
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Campbelltown HJ Daley Library
Residents can register online to attend the session.
https://swsphn.com.au/
Source: South Western Sydney Primary Health Network