We don’t always think about our health as involving teamwork, but it does! We need those near and dear to us, who are present during our appointments, and who care for us at home when we’re not well. We need different healthcare providers with their own expertise that informs what care we receive. This teamwork requires us to communicate and coordinate with many different people.

But what happens when we can’t speak for ourselves? Someone else has to lead the talking, coordinating and decision-making. If that happens, our team needs to carry on without our direction, based on their best guesses of what they think we want and need.

That’s where advance care planning comes in—the process of reflecting on and discussing our wishes for care with our team before that day comes when we can’t tell them what we want. It also involves deciding on someone who will take the lead in making decisions for us if we can’t speak for ourselves—our Substitute Decision Maker. Like any good team, it’s about strong communication and planning to get everyone on the same page ahead of time.