Creating your plan

What tools can help me?

We encourage you to write down what is important to you, what concerns you and what your care preferences are in an advance care plan. This will make it much easier for everyone to know what matters to you – especially if you can no longer speak for yourself.

These tools will help you think about and write down what matters most to you.

For physical versions of these resources please fill out this form.

The cover of a document titled ‘My plan for a good life, right to the end – Easy read advance care plan’, showing an illustration of a doctor talking to a patient. The doctor is holding a clipboard, and the patient has four thought bubbles above his

Whenua ki te whenua

Whenua ki te whenua is a document designed to help New Zealanders think and talk through their advance care plans. It encourages people to look at what is important to them, their values and beliefs and consider practical decisions should they become unwell or unable to speak for themselves. It also provides resources and examples of other people’s approaches to advance care planning.

To order hard copies at no charge (available in te reo Māori and English) please email fill out this form. Digital PDFs available below in English and te reo Māori.

Te reo Māori


My advance care plan & guide

This is a template to help you write down what’s most important to you.

This document includes the advance care plan and guidance on what you might think about or consider as you complete your advance care plan. You will need to fill this out by hand – either print this PDF or order a hard copy by filling out this form.


My plan for a good life, right to the end

Easy Read advance care plan

Developed for and by people with learning (intellectual) disabilities, My plan for a good life, right to the end, provides a simple way for people to understand what is involved in advance care planning and make their own choices. There is also a guidebook for supporters to help them adapt the planning process to suit each person’s needs.


My advance care plan

(no guide; PDF form only)

This can be completed electronically or printed and filled out by hand. If you fill this out electronically, please save it to your computer/device first. Then you can save it as you go and share it via email with others.

Important: Do not complete the electronic form online in your web browser, it won't allow you to save your completed plan and you will lose your information – always save the form to your computer/device first.


A picture of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand with the Northland district highlighted.

Who can I contact in my area?

This map shows the contacts for advance care planning in each region, as well as the process for storing your plan when it is complete.


Legal framework for medical decision-making video

This video is designed to help clinicians understand the legal framework of advance care planning including enduring powers of attorney for personal care and welfare and advance directives. A transcript is also available


He Waka Kakarauri

A model for engaging Māori in advance care planning (on Te Whatu Ora Te Tai Tokerau’s website).


An image of a Korean family with Korean text written below.

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble downloading and saving the electronic advance care plan, please check you have the most recent version of Adobe Reader, then download the form and follow the instructions above.

‘Conversations that count are highly important. You are giving a gift to your family, empowering them with the things that you hold dear to you’


Tammy Wells