Naming Test #3 — Advance Care Planning

“Who Ya Gonna Name?” leads off our popular Advance Care Planning for Smarties series of community classes. See more about our classes at yourcaringhouse.org/resources.

Step #1

Step #1 in advance care planning is selecting who will make health care decisions for you if you’re not able to speak for yourself.

To help you select, we’ve created the Who Ya Gonna Name? grid that we review in class. The grid covers the seven top tests (criteria) for evaluating who to name from among your family and friends.

Test #3: Will they be available when needed?

Why does it matter? When the time comes, the medical team will need to reach and communicate with the person you choose.

Tips:

• They can be across country, or in another country, if they can be available by phone and internet.
• Help the process by having your agent(s) listed on your wallet card, with their best phone numbers.
• Don’t name just one person to speak for you. Name one or more others (secondary or “backup” agents) to speak for you in case the first person you name is unexpectedly reachable.