If a sudden illness or accident left you unable to speak, how would clinicians and family know what to do? In Australia, two tools work together to answer that question: an Advance Care Plan and an Advance Care Directive. People often use the terms interchangeably, but they’re not the same. One is a conversation-driven record of your values and preferences; the other is a formal document that can carry legal weight and guide treatment decisions when you can’t.
This article explains the difference, how they fit together, and how to make them easy to find when they’re needed. It links to trustworthy guidance from Advance Care Planning Australia, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, My Aged Care, and the Australian Digital Health Agency—plus practical, state-specific resources. You’ll also see how a secure vault like Evaheld helps you organise, share, and keep your wishes accessible.
The short version
- An Advance Care Plan is a personal record—usually written after conversations with family and clinicians—capturing your values, goals of care, and preferences in your own words. It can include notes about quality of life, preferred place of care, and cultural or spiritual needs. Australian consumer guidance from Advance Care Planning Australia and My Aged Care treats planning as an ongoing process that you revisit over time.
- An Advance Care Directive (ACD) is a formal document that can include legally recognised instructions about medical treatment and the appointment of a substitute decision-maker (names vary by state). The Commission’s guidance on advance care planning explains that directives help clinicians provide person-centred, values-aligned care when you can’t decide or communicate.
Think of the plan as the story of what matters most, and the directive as the instruction sheet clinicians can follow.
Why both are important
Plans make your wishes understandable
A plan turns abstract values into practical guidance. It can explain why you prefer certain options (e.g., remaining at home, prioritising comfort over hospital transfers), which is invaluable for families and clinicians making time-sensitive decisions. Consumer resources from My Aged Care encourage people and carers to talk early so choices reflect the person, not the moment.
Directives make your wishes actionable
When time is short, clinicians look for a formal directive. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care emphasises that documented directives reduce uncertainty, align care with goals, and support shared decision-making. Where recognised by state/territory law, a directive can give clear authority to your appointed decision-maker and provide binding or highly persuasive treatment instructions.
Both reduce stress for families
Families often say, “I don’t know what Mum would have wanted.” A plan and directive together spare loved ones from guessing, reduce conflict, and give your substitute decision-maker confidence to advocate for you—backed by the right paperwork.
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How terminology varies across Australia
The idea is universal, but terms and forms differ by state and territory. Examples:
- New South Wales (NSW): Common-law Advance Care Directive + appointment of an Enduring Guardian (see NSW Health – Advance Care Planning).
- Queensland (QLD): Advance Health Directive (AHD) can include treatment instructions and decision-maker appointment.
- South Australia (SA): Advance Care Directive under the Advance Care Directives Act 2013 combines values, refusals/consents, and substitute decision-maker appointment.
- Victoria (VIC): Advance Care Directive under the Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 (often includes instructional and values directives, plus appointment of a medical treatment decision-maker).
- Western Australia (WA): Advance Health Directive (updated form introduced in 2022).
- ACT/NT/TAS: Similar frameworks with local forms; check Advance Care Planning Australia’s state and territory pages for the exact documents and witnessing requirements.
Because rules differ, it’s wise to use your jurisdiction’s official form and follow the witnessing instructions carefully.
What goes in an Advance Care Plan?
A plan is flexible and person-centred. Typical elements include:
- Values and goals of care (e.g., independence, comfort, staying at home).
- Preferences for place of care (home, hospital, residential aged care), and what a “good day” looks like.
- Thoughts on interventions (ICU, ventilation, CPR) in broad terms—your plan can say “I value comfort over longevity” without listing procedures.
- Cultural and spiritual needs and family traditions, which Australian guidance from Palliative Care Australia encourages people to articulate.
- People to involve (decision-maker, family, faith leaders) and how you’d like discussions to run.
Because plans aren’t strictly legal documents, you can write them in your own words and revise them easily as life changes.
What goes in an Advance Care Directive?
Depending on your state/territory, a directive can include:
- Legally effective instructions about consenting to or refusing particular treatments in certain circumstances.
- Appointment of a substitute decision-maker (Enduring Guardian, medical treatment decision-maker, etc.).
- Values statements to guide your decision-maker and clinicians.
- Witnessing and form requirements that must be followed for validity.
State examples:
- The QLD Advance Health Directive allows specific treatment instructions and appointment of an attorney for health matters.
- SA’s Advance Care Directive combines values, instructions, and substitute decision-maker in a single statutory form.
- VIC’s Advance Care Directive can include an instructional directive (clinically binding in specified circumstances) and a values directive, plus the appointment of a medical treatment decision-maker.
Because a directive is formal, it’s best to complete it with guidance from your GP or care team. The Australian Commission recommends using clear, clinically interpretable language.
Where to store both (so they’re actually found)
A common pitfall is completing documents but not making them discoverable. Use a multi-layer strategy:
- Share with people
Give copies to your decision-maker, family, and GP. Ask your residential aged-care service (if relevant) to add it to your file. My Aged Care encourages families and carers to participate early so everyone is aligned. - Upload to My Health Record
The Australian Digital Health Agency provides a dedicated section where you (or your clinician) can add your directive and planning documents. In emergencies, hospitals check My Health Record first—so this is critical. - Secure a digital backup
A privacy-first personal vault like Evaheld lets you store the latest signed directive alongside your plan, messages to family, guardianship papers, and practical checklists. It’s built to keep everything organised and shareable with the right people—and easy for you to update as your wishes evolve.
How clinicians use your documents
Clinicians look for clear direction and accessible records. Health-service standards identify advance care planning as part of person-centred, safe care, and the Commission provides national guidance on advance care planning. In practice:
- If you have capacity, your current wishes lead.
- If you lack capacity, clinicians work with your substitute decision-maker and follow your directive and plan.
- If there’s uncertainty or conflict, documented preferences—especially in an uploaded directive—help the team align on the right course.
Step-by-step: put both in place
- Start the conversation
Use the prompts and worksheets from Advance Care Planning Australia to reflect on values and talk with your family. If you support someone else, My Aged Care has guidance for carers, too. - Write your Advance Care Plan
Capture the essence—what matters most, what you fear, and what a good day looks like. Keep it human and readable. - Complete the correct directive for your state/territory
Find the right form via Advance Care Planning Australia’s state pages or your health department site (e.g., NSW Health, QLD Health AHD, SA Health ACD, VIC Health ACD, WA Health AHD). Follow the witnessing steps carefully. - Involve your GP or specialist
Ask your clinician to review wording so it’s clinically clear and to add copies to your medical record. The Commission recommends integrating your directive into routine care. - Store, share, and upload
- Share with your decision-maker and family.
- Upload to My Health Record.
- Back up in Evaheld so the latest version—and your broader plan, messages, and checklists—are always at your fingertips.
- Review after big life changes
Update after new diagnoses, hospitalisations, or changes in relationships. Replace old versions wherever you’ve stored them so clinicians always see the latest directive.
Future-Proof Your Family’s Story: Why an Evaheld Legacy Vault Is the One Account You’ll Never Regret Opening
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3. Advance Care Planning That Actually Gets Finished
The Vault walks you through Australia’s most intuitive Digital Advance Care Directive. Once signed, it sits beside a full Health & Care Preferences section that loved ones, carers and clinicians can access instantly—no more frantic document hunts.
4. Emergency Access That Saves Time and Protects Your Wishes
Print your QR Emergency Card; first responders scan it and see the latest directives in six seconds. Tests show on-scene decisions become faster and better aligned with personal wishes.
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Dive Deeper Into Legacy & Care Planning
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Extra Guidance
For guidance tailored to your needs, explore trusted dementia help sites, resources on family legacy preservation, online wills and estate planning platforms, and dedicated advance care directive resources. You’ll also find expert guidance and secure Evaheld Legacy Vault services, along with valuable information for nurses supporting end-of-life planning and values-based advance care planning. Evaheld is here to ensure your future planning is secure, meaningful, and deeply personal — with family legacy preservation resources designed to support your advance care planning, and those closest to you: families, carers, and communities.
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Evaheld’s “Connection is all we have” Hardship Policy
At Evaheld we believe that everyone’s story and legacy is worth sharing, so if you or someone you know needs some hardship assistance, please reach out and let us know, and someone from our team will ensure that money will not prevent anyone from securing their story, connections and legacy for loved ones and future generations. Because at Evaheld we believe that “Connection is all we have,” and that every single story and legacy is worth preserving!
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