‘A gift to give their loved ones ...’

'Everybody can't be a coach'
6/24/11
Thumbs up as Santa look-alike loses his locks
6/24/11
Charles Krauthammer: U.S. needs a new way to decide when we’re at war
6/24/11
Treasurer: ‘County finances can be rather complex’
6/24/11
> More opinion headlines

1:41 PM Friday, March 19, 2010

National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s a good time to learn about becoming an empowered patient in our health-care system.

Regardless of what road the national health-care debate takes, it is important for patients – and people who may someday be patients — to take a strong personal role in their health-care decisions. Patients need to know what treatment options are available. They need to know what to expect in the future as their illness progresses.

Most importantly, everyone deserves a chance to tell their health-care providers what’s important to them, and what treatments they do and do not want.

A good first step is to fill out a living will. Living wills provide us with an opportunity to take what ought to be an informed and sincere conversation around the kitchen table, and translate that into a living document, so that everyone’s wishes might be fulfilled.

A living will specifies what treatments you want and what treatments you don’t want in the event that you’re no longer able to make decisions yourself. ...

What drives many people to complete a living will is concern for their families. For them a living will is a gift to give their loved ones in the event they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves. Careful discussions about goals and treatment preference can provide guidance to prevent disagreements and disputes at a time when family unity is most needed and comforting.

Filling out a living will is quick, easy and an essential first step in making sure you get the type of care you want and need. The Hospice of Dayton Web site has information and downloadable forms accessible at http://hospiceofdayton.org/essentials/advance-directives/.

If we all use National Healthcare Decision Day to start talking to our families about our choices and taking charge of our own health-care decisions, we will join in implementing a major step in health-care reform for ourselves – without the help of Congress.

Deborah Dailey

President/CEO

The Hospice of Dayton/the Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties

Election deadline

The deadline for letters to the editor related to the May 4 election is at noon Monday, April 26. No election-related letters will be published after Friday, April 30.

Share this article