The author describes spending twelve days caring for her father during his final illness in a hospital facility on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. During this period, he remained unconscious and unresponsive while family members provided comfort measures and emotional support. The experience prompted reflection on the importance of advance planning for end-of-life care.
The author’s father had signed a legally binding advance health directive shortly after his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2005, clearly documenting his wishes to avoid life-sustaining treatments such as resuscitation, assisted ventilation, and artificial nutrition, preferring palliative care focused on comfort. This clarity regarding his preferences provided the family with guidance during an otherwise uncertain and distressing time. According to a 2025 study by Advance Care Planning Australia, however, only 33% of Australians have undertaken some form of advance planning, with just 6% having formally completed an advance care directive.
When families lack written directives, medical and emotional complications can arise. Associate Professor Davinia Seah of St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney notes that clinicians frequently encounter family disputes over treatment approaches, with different relatives advocating for conflicting care strategies. Without documented wishes or a legally appointed decision-maker, medical staff face uncertainty about appropriate treatment decisions. Additionally, even when directives exist, their physical location can complicate matters—documents stored with solicitors or in other locations may be difficult to access during medical emergencies.
The article features the experience of John Groves, a New South Wales retiree who completed an advance care directive after surviving multiple health crises involving cardiomyopathy and subsequent complications. His directive specifies preferences including home-based care when dying, pain management, acceptance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation but refusal of renal dialysis and prolonged life-sustaining treatments, and organ donation. Beyond specific medical choices, advance directives can document personal values and quality-of-life considerations—factors that help guide care when individuals lose decision-making capacity.
The author concludes by acknowledging the universal importance of advance planning and notes undertaking to complete her own advance care directive form, recognizing that clear documentation of end-of-life preferences benefits both individuals and their families during times of medical crisis and grief.
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