089 – Giving Yourself (And Your Family) a Gift on National Healthcare Decisions Day

In This Episode:

Dr. K shares a personal story and explains why it’s so important to take the time to talk with others and make plans to provide others with guidance, since most of us will at some point be unable to make our own healthcare decisions. She covers:

• The importance of National Healthcare Decisions Day
• What “advance care planning” means, and why it’s more than completing legal forms
• Four key steps in advance care planning
• Why it’s essential to have conversations with others, including with healthcare providers and with family
• Two free online tools you can use to guide you through reflection, conversations, and completing paperwork
• Five common pitfalls to avoid if possible
• Five questions you can ask yourself, every April when it’s National Healthcare Decisions Day

Related Resources:

• National Healthcare Decisions Day Website
• PrepareForYourCare.org
  • Easy-to-Read Advance Directives (available for almost every state!)
• The Conversation Project
  • List of Starter Kits (available in multiple languages and also for Alzheimer’s and related dementias)
• Advance Directive for Dementia (from Barak Gaster, MD)
• 5 Questions to Ask Yourself on National Healthcare Decisions Day
• Other BHWA articles on advance care planning and end-of-life