Green Sleeve – Transcript

A green sleeve is a plastic pocket – like a medical passport – that holds important advance care planning documents.

It is recognized by all Alberta Health Services healthcare providers, so that in an emergency, medical professionals will have access to your personalized advance care plan and know your healthcare wishes.

You may get a green sleeve from any Alberta Health Services provider, either in hospital or the community.

You can ask for one, or your family doctor or a nurse may suggest you have one.

The green sleeve is your personal property and you should only have one that contains the most up to date documents.

The green sleeve holds 3 forms: a copy of your personal directive and 2 Alberta Health Services healthcare forms.

A personal directive is a form that you complete.

It outlines important healthcare decisions, such as where you might want to live, or what would be most important to you in your life if you weren't able to communicate.

Anyone over 18 should have a personal directive.

You can complete a personal directive with or without a lawyer and you can use the blank personal directive form provided in the green sleeve.

In the personal directive, you name one or more persons who you trust to make personal and healthcare decisions for you if, in the future, you can't make them for yourself because of illness or injury.

The person you choose is called your agent.

The goals of care designation form is a medical order completed by your doctor or nurse practitioner based on conversations between you and the healthcare team. You do not write on this form.

A goals of care designation, or GCD as it is referred to, is an actual letter-number combination that helps the healthcare team quickly know and interpret your goals of care.

Not everyone needs a GCD or goals of care designation, however, it is useful for those individuals when it is important to know and act on their unique healthcare wishes.

The tracking record accompanies the GCD form as a written record of your advance care planning discussions.

When all 3 of these forms are put in the green sleeve, this package becomes the one source of truth that reflects your wishes and values for health care.

At home, place the completed green sleeve on or near the fridge, as this is where health responders are trained to look in a 911 emergency.

It is also recommended that you provide a copy of the green sleeve to your designated agent, family, and healthcare provider.

It is also a good idea to bring your green sleeve to all health appointments.

Remember, the green sleeve is like your medical passport.

It holds important legal documents that go with you through the healthcare system.

If you don't have a green sleeve, ask your healthcare provider for more information.

And if you already have one, keep it current and easy to access in case of an emergency.​