I there welcome to the plan well website. My name is Darren Highland and I am a critical care doctor, a researcher and the creator of the plan well website for over 20 years, my colleagues and I have been studying communication and decision making when patients get seriously ill. We have observed that those patients who don't think about or talk about the kind of medical care they want when they're seriously ill, they have a hard time getting the care that's right for them. And if they become seriously ill and can't communicate for themselves, then it's even harder for their loved ones or for the healthcare team to make decisions on their behalf. plan well has been developed to help you think about the kinds of things that would be important to you if and when you became seriously ill. serious illness can happen suddenly, or it can happen over a period of time, but when it happens, doctors will want to speak to you about your values and your preferences for medical care.

As a doctor, I've dealt with many families who have experienced that stress of having to make these serious decisions when their loved ones are seriously ill. That's why we created the plant well website. You can use this tool for yourself to make a plan for yourself or you can use this tool to make a plan for a loved one. It's really important that the people around you know your values and preferences and with confidence can talk to the doctors about who you are and what's really important to you when you are seriously ill. So please take your time go through the website. There's lots of information and resources available to you. Pause, think reflect.

Talk about it with your family and your loved ones. You'll learn more The different kinds of treatments that are offered, there'll be a little quiz that will help assess your understanding. And there's lots of questions that will ask you that'll help you clarify what's really important to you. When you get to the end, there's a section make your plan, please do this. document your values, your preferences, record your questions, then you'll be able to push a button and get a report, which we call the dear doctor letter. This serves as a document that records all the questions and answers and enables you to remember the key points so you can speak to your family and to your doctor about these key points later on.

Remember, to live well, and to die well. You need to plan well. Don't leave it up to fate. Don't leave it up to your family without hearing your voice. And don't leave it up to the healthcare team all by themselves to make decisions for you. Make your plan today.