Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN] HEA HOU
[SU] AVO SVY
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO HEALTH, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
End-of-Life Group Urges Americans to "Make Your Plan" for National
Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16
PORTLAND, Ore., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since only
one in four Americans has completed an advance directive indicating
their end-of-life healthcare wishes, Compassion & Choices today urged
all Americans to "Make Your Plan" for National Healthcare Decisions
Day (NHDD) on April 16. Compassion & Choices is holding dozens of
local events throughout the country to encourage and help people to
discuss their end-of-life wishes with their families and fill out
their advance directives.
An advance directive actually is two legal documents that enable
people to express their end-of-life healthcare wishes to their family
and healthcare providers if they become unable to communicate: 1) a
living will and 2) medical power of attorney. Most people do not want
to die in a hospital. They want to die at home, surrounded by their
loves ones. Advance directives increase the chances of that happening.
In fact, advance directives are associated with a lower likelihood of
patients dying in the hospital, according to a 2011 study published by
The Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The sad reality is that if you do not put your end-of-life wishes in
writing, medical professionals are likely to recommend invasive and
painful 'treatments' that may extend the dying process and reduce the
quality of life," said Compassion & Choices President Barbara Coombs
Lee, who was an ER and ICU nurse and physician assistant for 25 years.
"Completing an advance directive arms your loved ones with evidence of
your wishes and formally notifies healthcare providers."
Compassion & Choices offers free advance directive forms and
consultation resources. You can download state-specific forms as well
as other valuable planning tools at compassionandchoices.org or order
them by calling our toll-free number: 800.247.7421.
They include our exclusive Good to Go Resource Guide, which provides
ideas, inspiration and information on thorough, effective end-of-life
preparation. We also offer an exclusive dementia provision users can
add to the advance directive. An estimated 5.2 million Americans
currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease, according to the
Alzheimer's Association.
"Most advance directives take effect only when you are unable to make
healthcare decisions and are either 'permanently unconscious' or
'terminally ill,'" said Coombs Lee. "They usually do not apply to
severe dementia alone. Adding a dementia provision ensures that
families and physicians have a healthcare guide for the estimated half
a million people who will die this year from Alzheimer's."
To prompt discussion of advance care planning, Compassion & Choices is
inviting people to share bold graphics and the taglines "Ask me" and
"Tell me" from our Facebook page (facebook.com/CompassionandChoices).
Compassion & Choices, in collaboration with 14 leading aging and
healthcare organizations, is conducting "The Campaign to End Unwanted
Medical Treatment" to encourage healthcare providers and institutions
to honor patients' wishes.
With more than 30 local groups and 60,000 members and supporters
throughout the United States, Compassion & Choices leads the
end-of-life choice movement. We support, educate and advocate. Learn
more at: www.compassionandchoices.org .
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140403/DC97371
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131107/DC12439LOGO-b
Contact: Sean Crowley, 202-818-8256-c,
scrowley@compassionandchoices.org
SOURCE Compassion & Choices
-0- 04/03/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140403/DC97371
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131107/DC12439LOGO-b
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://CompassionAndChoices.org
CO: Compassion & Choices
ST: Oregon
IN: HEA HOU
SU: AVO SVY
PRN
-- DC97371 --
0000 04/03/2014 14:00:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
