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Planning for Advanced Care

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and writing down your wishes or instructions about future health care treatment.

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Last updated: October 2024

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and writing down your wishes or instructions for present or future health care treatment in the event you become incapable of deciding for yourself. Your advance care plan should include information for a variety of situations including: hospital care during and after routine surgery, care in the event of an accident, or end-of-life decisions. In British Columbia advance directives, which are legal documents, are a legal option for all capable adults who want to do advance care planning. For information about advance care planning in B.C., including tools to get started making a plan, visit the links below.

B.C. Resources

Advance care planning - Making future health care decisions

For information on advance care planning information and resources in British Columbia, including videos (Punjabi and Simplified Chinese subtitles available), brochures, tips on completing your advance care plan, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit:

Expected/planned home deaths

In British Columbia, individuals have the right to choose to die at home. For information about how to have an expected/planned death at home, please visit:

My Voice: Expressing My wishes for future health care treatment

The Ministry of Health encourages all capable adults in B.C. to do advance care planning, and take the further step of documenting their wishes and instructions for future health care using the tools available in the advance care planning guide. To learn more, please visit:

If you are interested in hard copies of My Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment, please visit the Crown Publications website to place your order online or order by phone Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 250-387-6409 or toll-free at 1-800-663-6105. You may place an order for a single hard copy or multiple copies. Please note that a shipping and handling charge, plus applicable taxes will be applied to your order.

No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation form (No CPR form)

In B.C., the No Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Form provides you and your physician with a legal option to order that no CPR be provided by health care providers and first responders. 

Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST)

Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) are medical orders. They are a way for your doctor to communicate your treatment wishes and decisions with other doctors and health-care providers who may be involved in your care. Through advance care planning discussions, you and your doctor will explore your values and the range of treatments available.

For medical orders for scope of treatment (MOST) information and resources from your health authority, click on the links below.

Legal information

The Ministry of Justice provides additional legal information useful for your advance care planning. To learn more, please visit:

Your health authority

For advance care planning information and resources from your health authority, please visit:

For more information

For general information about advance care planning, caregiver support, end of life care, and organ donation, please visit:

Advance care planning

Caregiver support

End-of-life care

Organ donation