The Greater Flint Health Coalition’s Your Health Your Choice Advance Care Planning Project, which includes partners Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, McLaren Flint,and the Genesee County Medial Society, encourages all Genesee County residents to participate in National Healthcare Decisions Day on Wednesday, April 16, 2014.
National Healthcare Decisions Day exists to inspire, educate & empower the public & providers about the importance of advance care planning, while encouraging patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare, whatever they may be. While advance care planning is encouraged year round, this is an opportunity for individuals to talk to others about their future medical decisions and to complete or review their advance directive.
Despite recent gains in raising awareness of the need for advance care planning, national studies indicate most Americans have not completed an advance directive and shared it with their family and medical providers to detail their right to make decisions about their healthcare in the event they cannot speak for themselves. Locally, data collected by the Your Health Your Choice Advance Care Planning Project shows that only 28% of individuals dying in a Genesee County hospital have an advance directive. It is not uncommon to hear stories about families in distress trying to determine what their loved ones wishes may have been during a medical crisis. Proactive advance care planning can reverse this trend and improve the patient and family healthcare experience.
On April 16th, Your Health Your Choice partner hospitals, Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, and McLaren Flint, will have resource tables available to provide local residents with education and information on advance care planning. Individuals will be able to schedule appointments with a certified advance care planning facilitator for assistance with advance care planning and completing their own advance directive at no-charge.
The Your Health Your Choice Advance Care Planning Project also has downloadable resources for getting started at http://www.gfhc.org/acp. If residents are unable to visit one of the resource sites on April 16th they may call (810) 232-2228 or email YHYC@flint.org to schedule a free facilitation appointment or for more information on advance care planning.
