Advance care planning in participative social work practice

Abstract

Advanced and anticipatory care planning (acp) are processes for finding out and recording clients’ preferences for care and treatment in the future, and distinct from professional care planning as part of care management in coordinating service delivery. Developing from palliative care practice in recording patients’ decisions to refuse treatment made in advance of possible mental incapacity at end of life, acp processes have recently extended to health and social care provision for long-term conditions. The process aims to engage clients, family members and informal caregivers in thinking ahead about managing difficult care situations. Research indicates that this increases clients’ satisfaction with services and improves the likelihood of clients’ and family preferences being achieved. Acp practice is an important development in theorising interpersonal social work practice in long-term care services, where the social work role has been seen as focused on management and coordination. It also strengthens clients’ participation in decision-making in social care services.