National Healthcare Decision Day

April 18, 2011 - 9:00 am

 Post Post

If you, at some point, were unable to make your healthcare decisions, would a loved one or someone you trust be able to make them for you in accordance to your wishes?

05Chapel image two.jpgCommunicating your health care preferences with your loved ones or someone you trust is hard. On April 18, Bon Secours is proud to be part of National Healthcare Decisions Day. Our team is available to assist you in answering questions about advance medical directives. Information tables will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the café of each of our hospitals to answer your questions and help you complete your advance medical directive.

Advance medical directives, which are also referred to as a “living will” or “health care power of attorney,” allow you to name a friend, family member or other individual as your “agent” to make your health care decisions—to accept or refuse health care—for you if, at some point, you can’t make them for yourself.

Medical decisions covered under an advance directive include, but are not limited to medication, surgery, mental health treatment, health facility admission, hydration and nutrition by tubes and machines that breathe for you.

Under the Health Care Decisions Act, your agent can’t make healthcare decisions for you that he or she knows goes against your religious beliefs, basic values and stated preferences.

According to the Pew Research Center, 42% of Americans have had a friend or relative suffer from a terminal illness or coma in the last five years and for a majority of these people and 23% of the general public, the issue of withholding life sustaining treatment came up.

Advance Directive forms are also available at http://www.vhha.com. You can also participate on Twitter by following the #HaveTheTalk hashtag or National Healthcare Decision Day.

Last 3 posts by GoodSharing

No related content found.