Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Advance Care Planning and working with Sorted Planning.
Ready to get started?
Your advance care planning journey begins with a free 20-minute Discovery Call. It's a chance to ask questions, tell me a little about what you're looking for, and see whether Sorted Planning is the right fit.
About Advance Care Planning (ACP)
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ACP is the globally recognised process that involves thinking about and sharing what matters most to you—so that if you ever become seriously ill or injured and can't speak for yourself, the people you trust know how to make decisions that honour your values.
In Ontario, ACP is a collaborative process, and while doctors normally lead the medical side, many other professionals facilitate these conversations. It is a misconception that only doctors can have these talks. In fact, Ontario's healthcare system encourages an interdisciplinary approach.
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No. They serve different purposes:
A will deals with your finances and property after you die.
A Power of Attorney for Property allows someone to manage your finances if you become incapable.
A Power of Attorney for Personal Care (POA-PC) appoints someone to make healthcare decisions for you if you can't.
Advance Care Planning is the conversation and document that helps your POA-PC (or Substitute Decision-Maker) understand what you would want.
Your ACP Summary is not a legal document, but it guides the legal decision-makers in your life.
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No. Advance care planning can be useful at any stage of life — whether you're healthy, living with a health condition, newly diagnosed, or experiencing changes in your health.
You don't need to wait until something happens to start thinking about what matters to you, who you would want involved in your care, and what the people around you would need to know if you couldn't speak for yourself.
And if you're coming to advance care planning because of a diagnosis or change in your health, you haven't left it too late. It can give you space to think through what matters now, prepare for conversations with your healthcare team and the people close to you, and make sure they understand what's important to you.
There's no single “right” time to do advance care planning. The important thing is to start from where you are.
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Ontario's healthcare system is unique:
Healthcare providers must obtain consent in the moment. They can't follow advance directives alone.
If you can't consent, a Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM) or Power of Attorney for Personal Care (POA-PC) decides for you. Their job is to follow your known wishes, values, and beliefs as closely as possible.
This is why ACP conversations matter so much in Ontario — your decision-maker(s) need to know what you'd want because they'll be asked to decide for you based on your values, not theirs.
For more information, visit Speak Up Ontario.
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That's okay—most people don't when they start ACP.
If you haven't legally appointed someone, Ontario uses a legal hierarchy to determine who can make decisions for you (Substitute Decision-Maker or SDM): spouse/partner, then children, then parents, then siblings, etc.
Our work together will help you:
Understand what a POA-PC is
Identify who might serve in this role or as an SDM
Clarify what guidance they would need
After our sessions, I can provide you with information about formalizing the appointment.
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Not always. Healthcare is unpredictable, and medical circumstances or legal requirements may make it impossible to follow every preference exactly.
The purpose of ACP is to guide decisions as closely as possible to your values when real-world constraints are present. Your ACP Summary gives your decision-makers a clear framework—even when the situation is complicated.
Working with Sorted Planning
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A discovery call is a 20-minute no-pressure conversation where you can:
Ask questions about the process
Share what brings you to ACP
Get a sense of whether we're a good fit
Clarify any concerns before committing
There's no obligation to proceed. If we decide Sorted Planning is a good fit, I'll explain the next steps and send you what you need to get started.
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Session 1 (90 minutes):
Getting to know you and what matters most
Understanding your life context, roles, relationships, and supports
Exploring how past healthcare experiences shape your views
Beginning to clarify what "quality of life" means to you
Session 2 (90 minutes):
Reviewing your reflection exercises together
Reviewing and refining the first draft of your ACP Summary
Exploring how your values apply to real-life medical scenarios
Clarifying specific guidance for your decision-makers
Discussing next steps for documenting and sharing your wishes.
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It may come up, but it isn't the sole focus.
Advance care planning is about what matters to you if you're seriously ill or unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself. That can naturally include conversations about dying, but we'll also explore quality of life, treatment priorities, independence, relationships and what makes life meaningful to you.
More detailed dying and death planning — such as body disposition, rituals or memorial wishes — is separate from the core advance care planning process.
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From start to finish, most clients complete the process in 4-6 weeks:
Week 1: Discovery Call, get started and schedule Session 1
Weeks 2-3: Session 1, complete reflection exercises between sessions
Week 4: Session 2
Weeks 5-6: Receive ACP Summary
You can take more time if needed—there's no rush.
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Life happens. If you need to reschedule a session, please give me at least 48 hours' written notice. Your rescheduled session should normally take place within four weeks of the original date, subject to availability.
Changes made with less than 48 hours' notice may be subject to a $100 rescheduling fee, although this may be waived in exceptional circumstances.
If something significant happens and you need more time, we can discuss pausing the process. With approval, you may take one pause of up to three consecutive months. If you're not ready to continue after that, we can look at starting a new engagement when the time is right.
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That's completely normal. These conversations can bring up grief, fear, love, gratitude, and everything in between. Tears, laughter, and long pauses are all part of the process.
I create space for whatever comes up. We can take breaks during our conversations or slow things down when needed.
Emotion is not a sign that something's wrong—it's often a sign that we're touching on what matters most.
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Jemima’s background combines education in advance care planning, thanatology and palliative care with hands-on experience supporting patients and families.
She has completed training in Thanatology and Last Aid, and has contributed 300+ volunteer hours in a hospital palliative care setting, where she continues to volunteer.
Her approach is also informed by lived experience navigating serious illness and complex healthcare decisions within her own family — experiences that ultimately led her to create Sorted Planning.
Jemima is an Advance Care Planning facilitator, not a healthcare provider or lawyer. She doesn’t provide medical or legal advice. Her role is to create the space, structure and guided conversation that helps you explore what matters to you, ask better questions, and prepare the people who may one day need to speak on your behalf.
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All client information is:
Kept strictly confidential
Stored securely using encrypted systems
Only shared with your explicit permission
Confidentiality has limits only when legally required—such as imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, disclosure of child abuse or neglect, or a court order.
Find out more: https://www.sortedplanning.com/privacy
Your ACP Summary
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Your Advance Care Planning Summary (ACP Summary) is a personalised document (typically 8-10 pages) that includes:
What matters most to you (values, beliefs, priorities)
Your Substitute Decision-Maker(s) and their contact information
Your life roles and responsibilities
How past experiences shape your healthcare views
Guidance for common medical situations
Your preferences for information sharing, comfort, and care environment
A message to the people who may one day speak for you.
It's written in plain language—easy for your loved ones and healthcare providers to understand.
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Your ACP Summary is designed to be shared. I encourage you to talk through it with the people who may one day speak for you, so they understand not just what's written down, but what matters to you and why.
You may also choose to share it with your healthcare providers and others involved in your care, and keep a copy somewhere it can be easily accessed if it's ever needed.
Advance care planning isn't something you have to complete once and never revisit. Your wishes and circumstances can change, so it's worth returning to the conversation over time.
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Yes. Once you receive your ACP Summary, you'll have 30 days to review it and request revisions to make sure it accurately reflects what we've discussed.
This includes things like correcting errors or omissions, clarifying wording and making administrative or formatting changes. Significant changes that require new planning conversations or additional work may involve an additional fee.
After the initial revision period, you're always welcome to return for an update as your life, health, relationships or wishes change.
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No. Your ACP Summary is designed to clearly capture and communicate your values, wishes, goals and preferences, but it is not a legally binding document.
Healthcare decisions may depend on your circumstances at the time, applicable law, your healthcare providers and the person legally authorized to make decisions for you.
The purpose of your ACP Summary is to help the people involved understand what matters to you and be better prepared for conversations and decisions if you're unable to speak for yourself.
Practical Details
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Sessions are available virtually across Ontario and in person within approximately 30 km of Hamilton.
You can choose the format that feels most comfortable for you, and you're welcome to use a different format for each conversation.
A travel fee may apply for in-person sessions depending on location.
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Currently, Sorted Planning only serves clients in Ontario, as the ACP process is specific to Ontario's healthcare consent laws.
If you're located elsewhere in Canada, I recommend visiting Advance Care Planning Canada to find resources in your province.
Payment
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$850 individual
$1,599 two-person package
$2,000 for two people + facilitated session
Pricing is the same whether your sessions are virtual or in person. A travel fee may apply for in-person sessions depending on location.
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Payment is made in full when you sign your Terms of Purchase.
After your Discovery Call, if you decide you'd like to proceed, I'll send you the information you need to get started, including your Terms of Purchase and payment details.
Additional fees only apply where relevant — for example, if you request additional services, work outside the agreed scope or additional revisions beyond those included in your package. I'll let you know about any additional fees before that work goes ahead.
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Not at this time. Payment is made in full when you sign your Service Agreement.
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If you decide not to proceed, you may be eligible for a full refund if you provide written notice at least 48 hours before your first scheduled session.
If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice, a $100 cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund.
Once your first session has begun, your purchase is final and the service is no longer eligible for a refund.
For full details, please refer to the Terms of Purchase provided before you sign and make payment.