Aloha … from BetheGifford offering free help completing Advance Directives
RANDOLPH, April 1, 2009 – In conjunction with National Healthcare Decisions Day, Gifford Medical Center in Randolph will provide free assistance on April 16 to any adult who hasn’t yet completed an Advance Directive.
An Advance Directive is a legaldocument in which you specify your health care wishes should you become unable to speak for yourself. These directives can then be shared with appropriate family members, your hospital or health care provider and with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry to help ensure your wishes are known and followed.
National Healthcare Decisions Day aims to increase the number of people who understand this process and the importance of end-of-life planning, talking with their loved ones about their wishes and completing Advance Directives.
Gifford social worker Sandy Conrad has witnessed the struggles families face when their loved ones’ wishes aren’t known.
“One of the hardest things that anyone will ever have to do is make decisions about a family member’s health care without knowing what a person’s wishes are,” says Conrad.
Completing an Advance Directive eases that burden on your family members. It can also be a relief for you to know that you have not left your children or other loved ones with that burden. And it helps hospitals know what care to provide for you, Conrad says.
“‘How we can respect your wishes if we don’t know what they are?’” she asks, quoting a poster that used to hang near her office.
She knows the answer: “We can’t.”
To get that answer and help you make your wishes known, Conrad and other specially trained Gifford staff and volunteers will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 16 in the Markle Room in Gifford’s Conference Center to help any interested adult complete an Advance Directive.
The hospital is providing the Advance Directive booklet, “Taking Steps: Planning for Critical Health Care Decisions,” from the Vermont Ethics Network for free. The cost of these booklets is being funded by Gifford’s Last Mile Ride, which raises money for end-of-life care – or, in this care, important end-of-life care planning.
No appointments are necessary. Filling out the Advance Directive form can take anywhere from minutes – say if all you want to do is designate a health care agent to make decisions for you – or up to an hour to thoroughly review the form and share your complete wishes. Topics on the form include appointing an agent, treatment wishes, organ and tissue donation, and funeral arrangements.
Anyone unable to attend the April 16 event can call Gifford Palliative Care Nurse Coordinator Pam Fournier at (802) 728-2328 or Chaplain Susan Thomas at (802) 728-2107 to arrange another time to get a free booklet and assistance completing the form.
Forms can also be downloaded and completed at your convenience at www.vtethicsnetwork.org. The site also contains more information on Advance Directives and Vermont’s registry.
Advance Directives can be changed as your wishes change. Anyone with a changed or newly completed Advance Directive can bring those to one of the patient registration desks just inside the main entrance of the hospital to have your Advance Directive electronically scanned and saved in your Gifford patient record.
Those who participate in the April 16 National Healthcare Decisions Day event at Gifford will also have their Advance Directive scanned into their patient records. Hospital staff will also provide participants copies of their directives to share with family members and will mail completed directives to the Vermont registry for anyone who is interested.
The hospital’s Conference Center is located just off from the patient parking area. For handicapped access, use the main entrance, take the elevator down to the first floor and follow signs to the Conference Center.