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North Country Matters talks with Hospice officials about advanced directives

Posted 4/17/18

POTSDAM — April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day to focus attention on the need for healthcare planning and to reduce the number of tragedies that occur when a person’s wishes are unknown. …

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North Country Matters talks with Hospice officials about advanced directives

Posted

POTSDAM — April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day to focus attention on the need for healthcare planning and to reduce the number of tragedies that occur when a person’s wishes are unknown.

These important topics were the focus of a recent North Country Matters program. Mary Jones and Samantha Jones of Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley talk with NCM host Bess Kirnie about the difficult but necessary conversations we should have about the end of life and the need for Advanced Care Planning. They provide a wealth of resources to help us start that conversation.

Advance directives give you the ability to document the types of healthcare you do and do not want, and to name an “agent” to speak for you if you cannot speak for yourself.

It is estimated that only about 25 percent of Americans have completed an advance directive. Advance directives can be created without a lawyer, for free, and relatively easily, so the time to start this planning is now, before you find yourself needing to make decisions for yourself or a loved one.

The YouTube link for this show is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Rlpq-mIFg.

Check out the NCM Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NorthCountryMatters/ for additional news and information about the show.