What is National Healthcare Decisions Day?
National Healthcare Decisions Day educates and encourages the public and healthcare professionals to participate in critical advance care planning.
In the absence of an advanced directive, medical staff relies on family members to determine what a patient's wishes are. These difficult decisions are also difficult for family members. However, many of these difficult decisions can be avoided with advanced planning.
The observance emphasizes the importance of advance directives, and national, state, and community groups banded together in a joint effort to support the day. These entities are teaming up to ensure that the data, opportunity, and data required to support health care decisions are all available.
Although advance care planning seems to be a difficult topic, family members are left wondering how to make the decision for you. Completing an advanced directive removes the burden from our families' lives. It also allows us to have more pleasant conversations in the future.
