CMH to observe National Health Care Decisions Day April 15

Citizens Memorial Healthcare is observing the fourth annual National Health Care Decision Day (NHDD) on April 15. CMH social workers will be assisting the public with information about advance care planning and advance directive forms at a table in the Polk County Senior Center from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

NHDD is a collaborative effort of national, state and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their healthcare decision.  It is estimated that only a small minority of people (roughly 25 percent) have executed an advance directive.  Moreover, fewer than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an advance directive in their medical records. 

National Health Care Decisions Day seeks to address the public's misunderstandings about advance healthcare planning and advance directives -- one myth is that it takes a lawyer to draft an advance directive. The day will also increase awareness of the benefits of advance care planning so that Americans will be familiar with how to obtain and complete a healthcare power of attorney and/or living will.

“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advanced directives to make their wishes known,” says Neoma Montgomery, director of social services at CMH.

For more information about NHDD please visit www.nationalhealthcaredecisionday.org or contact Neoma Montgomery at 417-328-6316 or 888-328-6010.

March 21, 2011