Phoebe Reminds Community of National Healthcare Decisions Day
Friday, April 16th, 2021
National Healthcare Decisions Day is Friday, April 16, a day to inspire, educate and empower the public about the importance of advance care planning. While advance care planning is a difficult topic for discussion, the alternative can leave family members struggling to make decisions for you. Advance care planning removes the burden from loved ones.
“At Phoebe, we offer palliative care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and hospice care for those facing an end-of-life illness. Those are difficult issues to face for any patient and family, especially those who have not planned ahead. Advance care planning can make that challenging time of life a little easier on everyone,” said Chaplain Will Runyon, Director of Chaplaincy Services & Palliative Care at Phoebe.
An important part of planning is completing an advance directive. You don’t need a lawyer, but an advance directive is a legal document. It allows you to state your wishes regarding end-of-life medical care – including the types of care you do and do not want – in case you’re no longer able to make decisions or communicate your wishes. It also allows you to choose the person you want to express those healthcare decisions for you.
Advance care planning involves making future healthcare decisions, expressing your preferences and clarifying your values. On this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day, Phoebe encourages everyone to talk with their loved ones, healthcare providers, even friends about it.
“These are not easy conversations to have or easy decisions to make, but they are important. And they are better made when they are clearly thought out at a time when you’re not facing a stressful medical crisis,” added Runyon.
For more information about advance care planning and advance directive forms, visit https://aging.georgia.gov/get-advance-directives.