Take Charge!
What matters most to you?
If you were facing serious illness, what kind of care would you want?
If you couldn’t speak for yourself, who would?
Planning for your future care can bring peace of mind – to you and your loved ones.
The four steps to take charge of your future care:
- Think about what matters most to you.
- Talk about your wishes with your family and friends.
- Choose your health care agent.
- Write it down – and share your plan.
Download your Take charge! Toolkit in English, Spanish, or Chinese
Tome Cargo! Su Herramienta de Planificación Anticipada de Cuidados
Why did you decide to take charge?
Share your story here and read others’ reasons for planning ahead.
We can help you take charge of your future care.
- Learn more about advance care planning.
- Download your own copy of our Take Charge advance care planning toolkit
- Watch the filmed presentation of our popular Take Charge workshop
More resources
| California Advance Health Care Directive | Conversation Starter Guide | Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) | Video: Talking about goals of care |
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| In Spanish | In Spanish | In Spanish |
The COVID-19 pandemic made these conversations particularly relevant. We recommend this short document, Being Prepared in the Time of COVID-19 (also available in Spanish), and a number of resources from Respecting Choices.
The Take Charge Toolkit and the campaign to engage our community were created by Mission Hospice & Home Care and a coalition of local organizations, which are dedicated to creating a more compassionate community for people facing serious illness, death, and bereavement:
Avenidas |Channing House | Coastside Adult Day Health Center | Family Caregiver Alliance | Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. | Palo Alto Medical Foundation | San Mateo County Health System Aging and Adult Services | Senior Coastsiders | Seniors At Home | Village of the Coastside | Villages of San Mateo County