April 16-22 is National Healthcare Decisions Week

Thursday, March 30, 2017 02:08 PM

Events will be held in northern Colorado

National Healthcare Decisions Week - April 16-22, 2017 - was created to help people understand the value of advance care planning. Advance care planning documents, including health care power of attorney and “living wills,” spell out one’s health care preferences should a medical crisis leave one unable to communicate one’s wishes.

Telligen’s Sharing the Care Campaign has long advocated for advance care planning within northern Colorado’s Larimer and Weld counties. This year, the group has joined forces with other community organizations to educate the residents of these counties, help them complete advance care planning documents, and then add these documents to their electronic health records.

Advance care planning teams include trained staff and volunteer facilitators, witnesses and notaries. While not a requirement in all states, notarization ensures that the documents will be honored during travel or dual residency. These teams will be based within Medical Center of the Rockies and Poudre Valley Hospital during National Healthcare Decisions Week to help employees, patients, families and community members complete their advance directives. The organizations will not only help several hundred community members complete their advance directives but will also educate hospital employees so they will know how to locate and follow the advance directives of their patients.

UCHealth physicians can now refer patients for advance care planning assistance through the health system’s electronic medical record system. The teams also conduct outreach through the hospital’s clinic system and local libraries and churches.

Find more information about National Healthcare Decisions Week here.