Bookmark & ShareFor Immediate Release: 04/02/2009
Contact: Sharon Michael, HCA Public Affairs, 360 923-2764
Dr. Nancy Fisher, HCA Medical Director, 360 923-2709
April 16 is the second annual National Healthcare Decisions Day. The event is aimed at encouraging all adults who are able to make decisions about their health care preferences to record their decisions and communicate them to their doctor and family members.
The Health Care Authority encourages employees and enrollees to discuss with family members the benefits of completing advance directives while they are in good health. Most of us know how we want to be treated if we are terminally ill, but the only way to make sure our wishes are followed is to make them known to those who will have to make those decisions when we are unable to speak for ourselves.
We also urge health care practitioners to use their knowledge, experience and personal relationship with patients to introduce this sensitive topic and encourage their patients to prepare advance directives. We invite network facilities, governing bodies, ethics committees and facility clinical quality and patient safety offices to review their internal policies and guidance that encourage patients to complete advance directives and make a renewed effort to educate staff and patients about this important issue.
What are advance directives?
Advance directives come mainly in two forms:
- A healthcare power of attorney, or proxy, agent, or surrogate, names the person designated to voice your healthcare decisions if you cannot speak for yourself.
- A living will describes the kinds of medical treatments you would or would not want at the end of life.
Learn more
You can learn how to prepare advance directives from information on the National Healthcare Decisions DayWeb site. Information about how to record your health care and end-of-life directives is available on the U.S. Living Will Registry Web site. Recording your wishes in advance will make it easier for your family members to make difficult decisions about your care when the time comes.
You can learn more about the national effort to raise awareness by visiting the National Healthcare Decisions Day Web site. You will also find educational materials and tools to share with people in your community.
