The following links provide useful information and resources for health professionals about:

Advance care planning for adults

• Clinical evidence about advance care planning - Advance Care Planning - CareSearch
   
• Education modules:
  • Online education modules for Queensland RACFs
  • Improving End-of-Life care for frail older people
     
• Queensland Health - Care at the end of life:
  • Queensland Health ACP clinical guidelines
  • Acute Resusitation Plan (ARP)
     
• Australian laws relating to death, dying and end-of-life decision-making - End of Life Law in Australia
   
• Palliative Care and advance care planning to improve the care of older Australians - End of Life Directions for Aged Care (ELDAC)
   
• Information for GPs
  • Advance care planning in general practice: Guidance on the use of Medicare Benefits Schedule Items

Advance care planning for children and young people under 18 years

• Information and guiding principles for health and care workers about advance care planning in paediatric palliative care
  • Palliative Care Australia: Advance care planning
  • Advance Care Planning Australia: Advance care planning in the paediatric setting 

• Children and young people under 18 can participate in advance care planning discussions and complete values-based advance care planning documents; however, in Queensland, a person needs to be 18 years or older before they can complete an Advance Health Directive or Enduring Power of Attorney document

• The following advance care planning documents may be useful:
  • My Wishes (for children)
  • Voicing My Choices (for adolescents)
  • A Queensland Paediatric Statement of Choices Form is currently under development

The Paediatric Palliative Care Service in Children's Health Queensland can also help with advance care planning. They can be contacted by phone: (07) 3068 4699 or email: ppcs@health.qld.gov.au.

• Legal perspectives relating to withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment from children:
  • Children and end of life decision-making
  • Queensland Government:
    • Implementation Guidelines Part 1: Legal Framework, Clincial Considerations and Decision-making Framework
    • Implementation Guidelines Part 2: Ethical Considerations and Communication

• Information about consenting to medical treatment as a child or young person. Queensland Health has produced a "Guide to Informed Decision-making in Health Care"

• Quality of Care Collaborative Australia
  • Advance Care Planning

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria have developed a very helpful policy paper, framework and discussion guide on advance care planning. This has been designed for healthcare professionals working with children who have life-limiting conditions and their families, to help them to have advance care planning conversations. There is also a very helpful App called "Thinking Ahead" produced by The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

Other related resources

• Queensland's only children's hospice: Hummingbird House

• A practical guide to palliative care in paediatrics