Daytona Beach, FL– This year, National Healthcare Decisions Day, which aims to help people across the United States understand the value of advance healthcare planning, will be a weeklong event, taking place April 16-22. In observance, throughout the month of April, Halifax Health – Hospice will present several free educational and informational activities for residents throughout Volusia County and in Orlando.
“National Healthcare Decisions Day allows organizations such as ours the opportunity to receive greater exposure in our ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the importance of adults having an advance care plan. People are often hesitant about creating a plan, but once they do, they really feel empowered,” explains Cathy Gallagher, a registered nurse and educational specialist for Halifax Health – Hospice.
Sometimes called an advance directive or living will, an advance care plan is a way for a person to plan ahead for their medical care in case they are not able to make their wishes known. Advance care plans can be made at any time in a person’s life. The plan advises healthcare providers on what a person wants if they are unable to speak for themselves, which helps to prevent questions and confusion among family members during that time, giving loved ones peace of mind.
Halifax Health – Hospice will host the following educational and informational activities in observance of National Healthcare Decisions Day:
April 12
April 17
April 19
April 20
April 26
April 28
During each of these activities, Halifax Health will distribute free copies of Five Wishes – an easy to use legal document that allows adults of all ages to plan how they want to be cared for in case they become seriously ill.
Five Wishes covers the following topics:
Five Wishes is America’s most popular living will with more than 18 million copies in circulation. It assists those utilizing the document in expressing how they want to be treated if they become seriously ill and unable to speak for themselves. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms in that it speaks to all a person’s needs, including: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also helps structure discussions with family members and physicians.
For more information about advance healthcare planning, call 386.322.4701.
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2017.