Have a Question on Advance Care Planning?
Here is a compilation of frequently asked questions about Advance Care Planning (ACP).
ACP is an ongoing process of planning and preparing for your future health and personal care. It includes conversations about your:
- personal beliefs
- values
- healthcare preferences
These will be shared with your loved ones and healthcare team.
Having a quality ACP ensures that this process is person-centred, informed and guided. In the event that you lose the capacity to make decisions or speak for yourself, the Advance Care Plan (ACP) will help your loved ones and healthcare team act in your best interests based on your prior expressed wishes.
Having a quality ACP is beneficial for:
- yourself
- your loved ones
- caregivers
- healthcare teams who care for you
ACP takes a compassionate approach that honours each individual as a whole person. It helps to:
- enhance quality of life—by aligning with your personal values, fosters dignity and well-being.
- strengthen trust—by building stronger relationships between yourself, your loved ones, and healthcare providers.
- increase individual and family satisfaction—by reducing stress, helping you and your loved ones prepare for future decisions, and for your wishes to be respected.
ACP is for anyone 21 years old1 and above who has the capacity to make their own decisions. This includes people who are:
- healthy
- living with a health condition
No matter who you are, you’re likely to have values and preferences for how you want to be treated. It’s important to think about these preferences and start planning for it early.
ACP is particularly important for people who are living with a health condition. You can consult your regular doctor, especially if you have chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease) or any other medical concerns.
1For individuals below 21 years old and living with a health condition, please approach your healthcare team if you are interested to find out more about ACP.
Click here for more details on how to start your ACP journey.
Your ACP NHS can be different from your LPA Donee. Nevertheless, it is encouraged that both ACP NHS and LPA Donee are the same person because this arrangement would reduce conflict in making healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Additional notes:
- LPA grants Donee(s) legal rights to decide on your behalf when you no longer have mental capacity to do so.
- But does not tell Donee your preferences for your Personal Welfare matters e.g., where and who to live with, your daily lifestyle and healthcare preferences.
- Whereas ACP informs Donee what you had planned/preferred for personal welfare.
- By appointing the same person as ACP’s NHS/LPA’s Donee, he/she has the legal right and can decide based on your NOK’s preferences.
If you’ve appointed or are intending to appoint a Professional Deputy as a Donee in your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), you can appoint the same person as your NHS. Make sure they are agreeable before you appoint them. You can find more details and the list of Professional Deputies on the Ministry of Social and Family Development website here.
Alternatively, speak to an ACP facilitator to document and register your ACP. They’ll be able to guide you in making decisions on your healthcare preferences.
Some service providers may charge a nominal fee for doing an ACP. Please check with the respective organisations for details.
AMD and LPA are legal documents, while ACP is not.
AMD is to inform the doctor treating you (in the event you become terminally ill and unconscious) that you do not want any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to be used to prolong your life.
LPA allows you to appoint one or more trusted persons (Donees) to act on your behalf for personal welfare and/or property and affairs matters should you lose mental capacity to make your own decisions.
ACP is useful because it would serve as a guide for your loved ones and healthcare team to act according to your best interests in the event that you are unable to make decisions or speak for yourself. The ACP will include healthcare preferences such as extent of treatment, pain control options etc. It also allows you to appoint up to 2 Nominated Healthcare Spokespersons (NHS) to speak on your behalf when you cannot speak for yourself.
Yes, it is best to complete an ACP even if you have completed AMD and/or LPA as these tools will benefit you in different ways.
myACP is an online service on MyLegacy@LifeSG that allows individuals to complete their ACP without having to speak to an ACP facilitator. It aims to make the ACP process more accessible and convenient for those who are generally healthy, by empowering them to complete their ACP independently, anywhere and at their own time.
Upon completion of myACP and NHS’s acceptance, the ACP will be registered in the National ACP IT system and linked to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) for viewing by ACP facilitators and healthcare team.
Yes, there are eligibility criteria that you have to fulfil to start on myACP:
- have a Singpass account
- are at least 21 years old
- are digitally savvy
- are able to understand health information to make informed decisions about your well-being
- do not have any existing serious illness1
- do not have a published Preferred Plan of Care (PPC) ACP / Disease Specific ACP
1Cancer, Chronic neurological diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and End-stage Lung Disease, Dementia, End-Stage-Renal Failure (ESRF), Heart Failure, Severe Liver Disease
You may find an ACP facilitator here.
You may also wish to download your current draft in a PDF format before visiting the ACP facilitator by following the steps below:
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Login to My Legacy here to view your draft and click on the “ACP help” button at the top right hand corner of the page.
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You would be prompted to download your current draft in a PDF format, and guided to a list of ACP service providers that you can contact and make an appointment with.
Your previously published General ACP is still valid and can be viewed by the healthcare team on NEHR.
If you wish to make a new ACP using myACP, you may also do so if you:
- have a Singpass account
- are at least 21 years old
- are digitally savvy
- are able to understand health information to make informed decisions about your well-being
- do not have any existing serious illness1
- do not have a published Preferred Plan of Care (PPC) ACP / Disease Specific ACP
1Cancer, Chronic neurological diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and End-stage Lung Disease, Dementia, End-Stage-Renal Failure (ESRF), Heart Failure, Severe Liver Disease
Kindly note that NEHR will reflect the latest published ACP – the previous facilitated ACP will be replaced by myACP once published.
You may indicate your preferences in the free text under the “Additional Requests” section of myACP.
Once you have completed myACP, your Nominated Healthcare Spokesperson (NHS) will be notified to view your ACP to understand your medical preferences and wishes before accepting their appointment as NHS.
Upon NHS’s acceptance, your ACP will be sent to the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) so it can be viewed by healthcare workers.
You will also receive a SMS/and email notification informing that your ACP has been completed and you will be able to retrieve a copy of your ACP by logging into My Legacy@LifeSG.
No, doing your ACP does not mean that your doctors will not treat you.
ACP forms provide guidance on decision-making and are not legally binding/enforceable. While the final decision on treatment for individuals who lack capacity rests with healthcare providers, following the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), the individual’s preferences for care and treatment will be considered in the decision-making process.
Decisions for individuals without capacity must prioritise their best interests, considering their values, wishes, and input from loved ones.
No, you do not need a lawyer to do ACP.
Start Your ACP Journey
Find an ACP facilitator using the ACP Directory below.
Learn More
Click on the following pages to get more details on Advance Care Planning.
All About ACP
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is the process of planning for future health and personal care. It includes discussing one’s personal beliefs and goals for care with their loved ones and healthcare providers.
Simple Steps For ACP
Advance Care Planning begins with your loved ones having an open conversation with you about their wishes and goals for care.
Other Ways To Plan Ahead
Apart from Advance Care Planning (ACP), there are other tools that can aid you and your loved ones in planning ahead should you lose mental capacity.
FAQs on ACP
Here is a compilation of frequently asked questions about ACP.
ACP Resources
Access our compilation of materials and an online booklet on Advance Care Planning here.
