National Healthcare Decisions Day - Community Outreach Presentation

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Advance Care Planning: Your Decisions Matter

Presented By:[Name][Title][Organization]

[Date]

Do you know what healthcare treatments you would and

would not want if you could not speak for yourself?

Do other people know what your wishes are?

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Today

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1. Discover the value of advance care planning

2. Learn how to talk about your future healthcare decisions

3. Understand how to document your healthcare decisions using advance directives

4. Encourage others to honor National Healthcare Decisions Day

Advance Care Planning

Involves:

Learning about treatment options

Thinking about your values

Talking about your decisions

Documenting your wishes

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Why Plan Ahead?

Unable to speak for yourself

Sudden illness or accidents

Leave a guide for others

Peace of mind for loved ones

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Getting Started

Learn about life-sustaining treatments

Reflect upon your values

Decide what you want and do not want

Talk to others

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Questions to Discuss

What do you want and not want at the end of life?

Who should speak for you?

What are your concerns?

What gives your life the most meaning?

What one thing do you want to be sure your doctors, family and friends know about your wishes?

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Talking About Your Decisions

Valuable opportunity to reflect on what’s important with loved ones

Discussion needs to happen before a crisis

Can provide comfort to your loved ones

Is up to YOU to initiate

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Documenting Your Decisions Advance directives document healthcare

decisions at the end of life

Tool to help you think through and communicate your choices

Two legal forms are available:

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Living Will

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Healthcare Power of Attorney Document who makes medical decisions

about your healthcare

Authorized to speak ONLY if you can’t

May also be called a:

"healthcare proxy or agent"

“healthcare surrogate”

"durable power of attorney for healthcare"

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Your Healthcare Agent Can be anyone over the age of 18*

Can be a family member, loved one or close friend

Is someone who:

You trust

Knows you well

Will advocate in your behalf

Will honor your wishes

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Living Will States what you want and do not want for

medical treatments at the end of life

May also be called:

Directive to physicians

Healthcare declaration

Medical directive

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Important to Know

Your advance directive should reflect your wishes

Lawyers are not needed

Not all documents are legally valid in every state

A witness and a notary may be required

Does not expire and can be updated as needed

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April 16 - National Healthcare Decisions Day

Collaborative effort of national, state and community organizations

Opportunity to communicate and document future healthcare decisions

Participating national organizations include: ABA, AMA, ANA, APC, NASW, NHPCO and others

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What You Can DoWhat You Can Do

Talk to your loved ones

“Since today is national healthcare decisions day, I want to take this opportunity to talk with you about my decisions for healthcare if I am ever in a situation that I can not speak for myself

like Terri Schiavo [or list someone else].”

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What You Can DoWhat You Can Do Complete your advance directive

Encourage others to do the same

Join local efforts to promote National Healthcare Decisions Day

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Resources That Can Help www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org

Advance care planning information

Advance directive documents

[List other state and local resources]

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The future depends on what we do in the present.

–Mahatma Gandhi

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