Today, we will be celebrating the 14th annual National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)! National Health Care Decisions Day is an initiative that encourages all adults to plan for the possibility of a health crisis of their own, bringing peace of mind for themselves and their families! It is important that health care decisions are done ahead of time and put into writing, relieving our loved ones of undue stress in an already stressful time. We have put together a comprehensive list of resources to help you think of your own health care wishes and learn more about a health care proxy. Start by viewing the video below that we created last year as the Covid-19 crisis began to highlight the importance of key estate planning documents and the healthcare decisions everyone should consider:
Seniors, middle-aged and young adults all should have a plan. Also, those from mixed families, who are solo agers and/or have minor children can leverage NHDD as the perfect opportunity to clarify who they would like to designate as their health care proxy. Use advance care planning for the full array of health issues, not just end-of-life. Advance directives can be extremely valuable for mental health issues, non-end-of-life treatment priorities (such as blood transfusions, amputations, or the use of tissue derived from a particular kind or source), and anything else that would guide decision-making if a person loses capacity.
Provided by The Conversation Project, Here are some resources and materials to help you think through your health care wishes and learn more about choosing or being a health care proxy:
Guide to Choosing Health Care Proxy
Guide to Being a Health Care Proxy.
Below is a listing of books to help make life’s hard conversations easier:
