Do you have an advance health care directive? It is a simple document that lets your family, loved ones and medical professionals know what type of care you want when you can no longer speak for yourself.
Do you have an advance health care directive? It is a simple document that lets your family, loved ones and medical professionals know what type of care you want when you can no longer speak for yourself.
“Confusion and sadness when patients cannot speak for themselves makes an already painful time harder to bear,” said Tony Kent of Community First. “The first step is to have ‘the conversation’ with your loved ones. By verbally communicating your wishes for medical care you will make the situation clearer for your loved ones.”
Kent said the next step is to document your wishes in writing. An advance health care directive is a legally binding document that you can complete for free. By communicating and documenting your health care wishes you are helping your family to navigate a difficult and stressful time more easily, he said.
Community First offers free classes on the importance of advance health care directives and assistance in completing the forms. The next class is from 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Hilo Aging and Disability Resource Center, 1055 Kinoole St., No. 101.
All forms and materials are provided for free. To register, visit CommunityFirstHawaii.org/Registration or call Kent at 464-2800.