April 16 is National Health Care Decisions Day; Learn How to Make Advance Medical Directives

Veterans Memorial Hospital, along with other national, state and community organizations, are highlighting the importance of advance healthcare decision-making—an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). As a participating organization, Veterans Memorial Hospital always has information available to help individuals talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will).

It is the right of the patient to choose the medical care they wish in any situation, even when the patient is too sick or hurt to tell their family members or their physician.  The way to ensure the correct healthcare wishes are carried out is to complete an Advanced Directive.  Advanced Directives include Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare and/or a Living will.    In order to have an Advanced Directive the patient will need to discuss their wishes with their family and medical provider.   

As a result of April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in the community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known. Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.

For more information about National Healthcare Decision Day, please visit http://nhdd.org.

Informational packets for filling out Advance Medical Directives are available at the main entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  For more information, please call Bailey Meyer-Benson, RN, Discharge Planner, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 568-3411.