National Healthcare Decisions Day educates and empowers the public and healthcare providers to participate in important advanced care planning. Advanced care planning can be a difficult conversation. However, without it, family members may be left unaware of an individual’s end-of-life wishes, leading to challenges in decision-making.
National Healthcare Decisions Day is observed annually on April 16th. Cuyuna Regional Medical Center is encouraging everyone to make their healthcare wishes known to their family members and physicians, and to go through an advanced care planning process. A health care directive is not just for the elderly or chronically ill. The hope is to increase the number of people who have completed a health care directive (a living will). In this document, they name the person who will make medical decisions for them if they are seriously ill and can’t speak for themselves.
A CRMC Social Worker, along with a notary, will be available in CRMC’s main entrance lobby from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16 and 17. They’ll assist individuals in filling out a health care directive and discuss how to start the discussion with those close to them about their end-of-life wishes. No appointment is necessary.
“Understandably, people would put off discussing the topic of serious illness and death, but it’s essential to have this family conversation in advance,” CRMC Director of Care Management KariLee Pietz said. “It’s a discussion that should take place in the living room, not in the hospital waiting room when it may be too late.”
Call 218-546-2357 to speak with a CRMC social worker with any questions.
Health Care Directives are available at https://www.lightthelegacy.org/health-care-directive-downloads/