The core parts of advance care planning are:

• Choosing a person – deciding who will speak for you if/when you lose the ability to communicate your own medical wishes and decisions.
• Identifying your wishes – identifying your core wishes and values, and how they should be used to inform your medical care.
• Sharing and documenting your wishes – discussing your wishes and values with the person who would become your decision-maker, your healthcare team, and other people in your life that matter to you. In addition to discussing your wishes, you should also document them using advance directives.