National Healthcare Decisions Day April 16, Free Presentation Set

OMAHA -  According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality fewer than 50 percent of the severely or terminally ill patients studies had an advance directive in their medical record.  

Methodist Health System is hoping to change that percentage by offering a free presentation on advanced directives and living wills in conjunction with National Healthcare Decisions Day, Saturday, April 16.

Methodist is hosting a free event on advance care planning and advance directives on Saturday, April 16 from 9-11 a.m. in the Auditorium of Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center on the Methodist Hospital Campus at 8303 Dodge Street.

“Our goal is to encourage members of the greater Omaha community to complete advance directives while they are in good health, before they are ill or hospitalized,” said Melissa Strong, service leader for pastoral services at Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital. “In this way, health care providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance health care planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patients' wishes when the time comes to do so. 

The free event includes a presentation by Rev. Melissa Strong and Jackie Thielen, APRN, NP from 9 to 10 a.m. followed by a question and answer session and document completion from 10-11 a.m.

Completing the forms does not take long and the notarization process is free. Notaries will be available on-site on the 16^th.

An Advance Directive is a written statement in which you state your choices for health care, or name someone to make such choices for you, if you become unable to make your own decisions about medical treatment. The two most common forms are a Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney for Healthcare.

To learn more, visit www.nhdd.org or www.bestcare.org/AdvanceDirectives