Capacity, care planning and advance care planning in life ...

1 The care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the bestCapacity, care planning and advance care planning in life limiting illnessA guide for Health and Social care Improving QualityNHSThe care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the 1 ContentsForeword 3 Executive summary ..51. Aims ..9 care planning and advance care planning ..92. Key principles ..113. capacity ..13 Assessing capacity to make decisions ..13 The two stage test for capacity ..13 Maximising capacity ..154. care planning ..16 What is care planning ? ..16 What are care Plans? ..16 care planning and decision making on the basis of the best interests of a person who lacks capacity to decide or consent ..17 Defining best interests.

2 17 What must be taken into account when determining someone s best interests?..18 Talking to relatives, partners or others close to the individual when the person lacks capacity ..18 Studying care records to inform best interests ..19 Dealing with disagreements about best interests ..19 Responsibilities of the decision maker when the person lacks capacity ..19 The role of Independent Mental capacity Advocates (IMCA) when the person lacks capacity ..20 The role of the Court of Protection when the person lacks capacity ..20 Different responsibilities and competences ..20 Working as part of a team ..20 Recognising the need to refer for specialist advance care planning (ACP).

3 22 The care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the 2 What does advance care planning mean? ..22 What issues might advance care planning include? ..22 Who takes part in advance care planning ? ..22 How does advance care planning fit with care planning ? ..23 Potential benefits and risks of advance care planning ..24 Avoiding a prescriptive style of initiating and conducting ACP ..24 Considering the use of ACP: timing and context ..25 The outcomes of advance care planning discussions ..25 advance statements ..25 Professional responsibilities in relation to advance statements ..26 advance decisions to refuse treatment (ADRT) ..26 Professional responsibilities in relation to advance decisions to refuse treatment.

4 27 Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) ..27 Giving Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare: an example ..28 The role of the Office of the Public Guardian ..296. Core competences ..30 End of life care common core competences ..307. References ..328. Glossary (alphabetically listed) ..33 advance care planning ..33 advance decision to refuse treatment (ADRT) ..33 advance statements ..33 Best interests ..34 capacity 34 care planning ..34 care Plans ..35 Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) ..35 Acknowledgements ..36 The care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the 3 ForewordThere have been a number of policy initiatives which emphasise the intention of government to offer a person more choice about their care , promote models of partnership working in health and social care decision-making and increase the quality and range of information available to individuals [1-3].

5 In particular, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidance: Improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer [4] published in 2004 - recommended that assessment and discussion about a person s physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and financial support needs should be undertaken at key points (such as at diagnosis; at the start, during, and at the end of treatment; at relapse; and when death is approaching). This was followed by the implementation in 2007 of the Mental capacity Act of 2005 (MCA), supported by a Code of Practice [5]. The Act seeks to empower people to make decisions for themselves wherever possible, and protect people who lack capacity by providing a flexible framework that ensures individuals best interests must be the basis for the decision making process.

6 The Act offers guidance on giving appropriate help and support to people making their own decisions, determining if people have mental capacity to make their own decisions and acting in someone s best interests when they lack capacity . Chapter 9 of the Act has specific information on the legislative framework for when someone chooses to make an advance decision to refuse treatment prior to loss of 2008 the Department of Health published the End of life care Strategy [6], which drew attention to the central importance of this area of practice for everyone affected by life limiting or life threatening illness . The same year, the NHS Next Stage Review [7], led by Lord Darzi, laid great emphasis on giving people more control and influence over their health and healthcare, pledging that, by 2010, everyone with a long-term condition will have a personalised care plan.

7 care plans should be agreed by the person (or their representatives if the person lacks capacity ) and a named professional carer and provide a basis for the NHS and its partners to organise services around the needs of individuals. However, the National Audit Office [8] has pointed out that the wishes of people approaching the end of their life are not always made clear to those who need to know. The Department of Health through NHS Improving Quality aims to support the development of protocols to help capture, document, and share accurate information on the person s preferences. This information should be regularly updated and shared with all providers across the health, social care , independent, and voluntary sectors who influence decisions about where and how people receive care .

8 The care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the 4 This document seeks to provide guidance about this area of practice for all health and social care staff who are responsible for the care of people affected by life limiting or life threatening illness . It has been written to complement the guidance aimed at doctors, which was published in 2010 by the GMC Treatment and care towards the end of life : good practice in decision making [9]. The care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the 5 Executive summary Many people, by the time they reach the end of their lives, have multiple conditions and complex needs that require a proactive, coordinated response [6]. Making appropriate plans to meet a person s changing needs and aid timely transitions to end of life care are critical components of the quality improvement process in health and social care .

9 The process of planning often involves multidisciplinary teams working across local health, social care and voluntary sector services[9] and an ongoing dialogue with a person and those close to them about how to meet their current needs and those that can be anticipated in the future. This guide has been developed to help health and social care staff who are involved in care planning and decision making for people with life limiting illness . It addresses: 1) The importance of assessing a person s capacity to make particular decisions about their care and treatment and of acting in the best interests of those who are assessed as lacking capacity to make these decisions. 2) The differences and relationship between care planning and advance care planning .

10 capacity , care planning and advance care planningCapacity refers to the ability to make a decision about a particular issue at the time the decision needs to be made or to give consent to a particular act. Assessing capacity and maximising capacity are essential aspects of the care planning process. It is important to appreciate that only people who have capacity can participate in advance care planning . care planning embraces the care of people with and without capacity to make their own decisions. It involves a process of assessment and person centred dialogue to establish the person s needs, preferences and goals of care , and making decisions about how to meet these in the context of available resources. It can be oriented towards meeting immediate needs, as well as predicting future needs and making appropriate arrangements or contingency plans to address these.