Future Matters: helping you to plan your end of life care

Its important that we all take time to think about and plan for how we would like to be cared for both in an emergency and also in the future if we were to become unwell and unable to look after ourselves. This is important whatever age we are as none of us knows what the future might hold.

By planning ahead we can express who we are and what’s important to us in case we can’t make a decision for ourselves.

It can also help us feel less worried and anxious about the future and feel more in control. It can also help those close to us to know our wishes meaning there is less likely to be conflict amongst those who have to make decisions on our behalf.

The Future Matters Service can help you to plan ahead by supporting you to:

1. Create a Coordinate My Care Plan (CMC)

What do you want health professionals to know about you and your health? How and where would like you like to be cared for? Who should be contacted in an emergency?

Coordinate My Care (CMC) puts you at the heart of planning your urgent/emergency care and future care by making sure that your wishes are taken into account by everyone who might be involved in looking after or treating you.

The information that you enter into your CMC plan includes the following:

• About me – the more health professionals know about you, the more sensitively they can care for you so you’ll be asked a few questions about yourself including you cultural requests and any religious needs
• My health – you’ll be asked a few questions about your health generally and any disabilities you may have. These answers help urgent care service to look after you, especially in a situation where you aren’t able to communicate your thoughts clearly.
• In an urgent or emergency situation – you’ll be asked if there are any ways in which you manage problems or do things to feel better. Who has spare keys? How can they be contacted? Are there are dependants or pets you are responsible for?
• My people – you’ll be asked for details of people you would like contacted if something happens to you and where to reach them.
• My place of care preferences – you can give your thoughts about where you would like to be cared for if you need urgent medical attention but also at the end of your life.
• Some other considerations – your feelings about organ donation and if you were approaching the end of your life are there treatments you would or would not want?

The Future Matters team will sensitively help you record your information and wishes in the online plan.  Once you have completed your CMC plan you discuss this with your doctor or nurse and they will add your important medical information.

Your plan is then shared with all health professionals who might be involved in your urgent and longer term care, such as 111, your out of hours GP, the ambulance service, A&E and other hospital staff.  They will be able to see your plan and be guided by it.

2. Make Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA)

How can I plan for a time when I may not be able to make decisions for myself or manage my affairs?

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) are legal documents that allow you to appoint one or more people to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.

This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions (you ‘lack mental capacity’).

You can have LPAs for Property and Financial affairs, and for Health and Welfare.

More information about Future Matters:

Future Matters is a partnership between Gentle Dusk and Age UK Islington. It is funded by North Central London CCG and is a service specifically for people living in Islington or who have an Islington GP.