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On April 16 it will be the second annual National Healthcare Decisions Day.
The goal of this nationwide initiative is to ensure that all adults with decision-making capacity in America have both the information and the opportunity to communicate and document their future health-care decisions. While making health-care decisions is often difficult in the best of circumstances, making decisions for others is even more complicated.
Each of us has the ability to guide our health-care providers and our loved ones about what we want. Advance directives (also called “living wills”) give you the ability to document the types of health care you do and do not want and to name a person to speak for you if you cannot speak for yourself. Having an advance directive can be valuable for all adults, regardless of current age or health status.
Advance directives can be created without a lawyer, for free, and relatively easily. Avow Hospice is here to help you by providing both free advance directives forms and information about things to consider as you fill them out. Free workshops about Advance Directives will be offered by Avow Hospice during the months of June and July - click here to learn more or call Avow at 261-4404.
You may download and print Avow's Living Will Kit by clicking here now.
With health care, your decisions matter — but others need to know about them. There are no wrong answers when thinking about health care choices and completing an advance directive.
Please take this time to decide, discuss and document your wishes, whatever they may be.
— Mary Brodeur, Director of Community Relations, Avow Hospice Inc.
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