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For Immediate Release
March 16, 2009
Contact: Sally Kohr
(717) 787-4651

National Healthcare Decisions Day Set for April 16, 2009

A Time to Consider, and Document, End-of-Life Health Care Wishes

On April 16, hospitals throughout Pennsylvania are asking all of us to think about, and make provisions for, the kind of health care we would want should a catastrophic accident or illness make us unable to express our wishes to family, loved ones, and doctors.

Joining with prominent national health care, religious, and other organizations, as well as numerous community groups, hospitals across the state will invite the general public to drop by and learn more about end-of-life health care decision-making. Social workers, chaplains, and other trained staff will be on hand to discuss advance directives, health care powers of attorney, and living wills. For a list of events in your community, visit www.CareforPa.org.

"Hospitals see firsthand the difficult decisions faced by families when the wishes of gravely-ill loved ones, no longer able to communicate, are unknown," said Senator Alloway. "With Act 169 of 2006, Pennsylvania lawmakers recognized the importance of end-of-life health care decision-making. The legislation provides guidelines and a model form for the documentation of health care decisions, whatever they may be."

Despite both state and federal laws giving patients a choice about their health care, few people have executed an advance directive. A significant reason for this low number is that there is considerable confusion in the public about advance directives. For example:

• People do not know what advance directives are and what they can do (incorrectly thinking they are only documents used to decline treatment);
• People want to execute advance directives, but do not know how or think it is expensive and/or difficult (incorrectly thinking they need a lawyer and a notary); and/or
• People are afraid to talk about health care planning when they are healthy (assuming severe illness or a catastrophic injury will never happen to them).

The National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative is a collaborative effort of national, state, and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their health care decisions. For more information, visit www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org.