They are words commonly spoken, “It just happened so fast” or “We didn’t have time to get it together” or”I just don’t know what he would want”.  Talking with family members about the end of life is a difficult topic for many, especially if families are confronting the reality of cancer.  As difficult as it is to talk about end of life issues now, it is even more difficult to do so when circumstances take a turn for the worse. And the most difficult situation of all is when a family member is left guessing what to do. It is a situation that can and should be avoided.  

 

Thursday, April 16^th is National Healthcare Decisions Day. It is a day that is designed to initiate conversation between and among family members and with their healthcare team about future medical decision making, Living Wills and Advance Directives. The initiative is a collaborative effort of state, local and community organizations to increase awareness of the benefits of advance care planning so that Americans will be familiar with and how to access information and resources to help them make future healthcare decisions.

 

Many patients do not understand what an Advance Directive is or even the difference between it and a Health Care Power of Attorney. Learn this and more at: http://www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org/resources.htm

 

Everyone has the right to self-determination and cancer patients especially deserve the dignity that is afforded with advance planning. Give this gift to yourself and to your family and let your will be known.

Do it today on National Healthcare Decisions Day.