Annually, April 16 is designated as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). The purpose of this day is “to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.” This year Honoring Choices® Indiana – North Central (HCI-NC) capitalized on this opportunity to offer its services and achieved excellent results.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has tragically demonstrated that anyone, at any age, can experience a healthcare crisis that could render them unable to speak for themselves. Designating a healthcare representative who can express a loved one’s treatment preferences and creating directives that document these preferences is more important than ever.
This year, HCI-NC staffed a table at Center for Hospice Care (CHC) on April 16th to offer advance care planning to all staff, free of charge. In preparation for NHDD, they met with two CHC interdisciplinary teams to present pertinent information and encourage staff to sign up for a facilitated conversation to discuss their healthcare preferences. HCI-NC also interviewed two CHC staff members on Facebook Live to get the word out about its services. The table in CHC’s foyer allowed HCI-NC staff and volunteers to engage employees and others as well as provide resources and schedule appointments.
Advance care planning typically involves one or two conversations of about one and a half hours hosted by a trained facilitator. These conversations can be conducted virtually or in person.
The April 16th event generated 24 requests for advance care planning. Each of these individuals and their appropriate family members will meet with one of HCI-NC’s certified facilitators to discuss their values and wishes and document their healthcare choices. And each of these individuals will experience the peace of mind that comes from having a plan in place if the need ever arises.
If you would like to complete your own advance care planning or to request a presentation to your group, organization, or business, please contact us. You do not have to wait for National Healthcare Decisions Day to respond! All services of Honoring Choices® Indiana – North Central are offered free of charge, thanks to the support of donors, health systems and local businesses. Visit: hci-nc.org to learn more.