Responding to and Managing Emotions During ACP
It is natural for ACP discussions to generate emotional responses.n
There are many strategies you can use to respond to emotions.
If a resident or surrogate becomes too emotional to continue, it may be a good idea to take a break or even reschedule the discussion. This gives people time to collect themselves.
Emotions Vary
There is a range of responses you may encounter during ACP discussions.
These include:
- Sadness
- Grief
- Anger
- Gratitude
- Relief

Sometimes the response to ACP discussions is not strongly emotional. Instead, you may find residents and surrogates who are apathetic and seem to care little about ACP decisions
Conflict