National, state and community organizations are leading a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making — an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).
As a participating organization, the Tri-County Regional Ethics Committee (TREC) — an arm of the state ombudsman office — is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will) in accordance with state laws.
These resources will be available at a free Community Health Fair to be held at Fox Rehab located at 7 Carnegie Plaza (off Springdale Road) in Cherry Hill, on Tuesday, April 16 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Guests will receive complimentary health screenings and information about advance care planning. Health screenings will include blood pressure and blood sugar, eye and hearing exams, balance tests, nutrition counseling, massages and more.
A free Living Will Clinic will also be provided on-site by attorneys from Price & Price Elder Law based in Haddonfield. Guests will have an opportunity to review the “Five Wishes” Living Will document with an attorney and complete it at the event.
“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have meaningful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” TREC President Jane Knapp said.
“Fewer families will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so”, Knapp said.
For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day, please visit www.nhdd.org.
To pre-register for the Living Will Clinic on April 16, contact Price & Price Elder Law at (856) 429–5522.
Space is limited for the Living Will Clinic, so please make a reservation soon.
