Here's exactly what to expect. No surprises, no preparation required — just a quiet 20 minutes and a willingness to think out loud.
Not a commute, not a waiting room. A place where you can think slowly and speak honestly — or type without distraction.
Sage works best when the person the plan is for is present. But you can also start on behalf of a parent and share with them later.
Every answer can be changed. Your first session is a starting point, not a signed contract. Sage will come back to refine things over time.
Here are the first five questions, with examples of real answers. Yours will be different — and that's the point.
"What does a good day look like for you right now?"
"Waking up without an alarm, having coffee on the back porch, maybe a short walk with the dog. Being able to read without my glasses hurting my eyes. A phone call from one of my kids."
"What matters most to you about how you're cared for?"
"Being treated like a person, not a patient. I don't want someone talking about me in the third person while I'm in the room. And I want to know what's happening — don't protect me from the truth."
"What worries you most about the future?"
"Being a burden. I watched my husband spend his last two years in a facility and I don't think he was happy. I'm afraid of the same thing happening to me — ending up somewhere I hate because my family doesn't know what I actually want."
"If you couldn't make medical decisions for yourself, who would you want to speak for you?"
"My daughter Linda. She's a nurse and she's practical. My son loves me but he'd have a hard time making hard choices. Linda knows what I'd want and she wouldn't fall apart."
"Are there medical treatments you'd want to avoid, no matter what?"
"I don't want to be kept alive on machines if there's no real chance of getting back to a life I'd recognize. Quality of life matters more to me than length of life. I want to be comfortable, not heroic."
After your first session, CareGoals generates a Care Summary — a structured, human-readable document your family can actually use.
No — your Care Summary is not a legal document. It's a clear, human-readable record of your preferences that informs legal documents. CareGoals can help you generate a state-specific advance directive (a legal document) from your answers, but that step requires review and, in most states, witnesses or notarization.
No. You control exactly who sees your Care Summary. You can share it with your physician directly from your account — or choose not to share it at all. Nothing is sent to anyone without your explicit action.
This is common. A few things that help: don't frame it as planning for death — frame it as helping the family understand what they want. Starting with lighter questions ("What does a good day look like for you?") is less threatening than "What do you want when you're dying?" You can also start your own care plan first and share it — modeling vulnerability often opens the door. And sometimes it takes more than one try.
Your first session typically takes 20 to 30 minutes. Subsequent sessions — after a health change, a family conversation, or when you want to add the legacy section — usually take 10 to 15 minutes. Sage remembers what you've already covered, so you never have to start from scratch.
Yes. CareGoals uses HIPAA-compliant infrastructure with end-to-end encryption. Your data is never sold, never used for advertising, and never shared with third parties without your explicit consent. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.
Yes. You can start your own advance care plan at any age — CareGoals is for anyone who wants to document their preferences. You can also begin a plan on behalf of a parent (capturing what you know about their wishes) and then invite them to review and confirm it at their own pace. It's often easier for parents to edit an existing document than to start from a blank screen.
Twenty minutes. No preparation. Sage will do the guiding.
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