Calvary Hospital, the nation’s only fully accredited acute care specialty hospital exclusively providing palliative care for adult patients, proudly participated in this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is celebrated annually on April 16.
This educational initiative encourages adults of all ages to plan ahead of a health crisis. It was launched to inspire, educate and empower the public and healthcare providers about the importance of advanced care planning.
With its extensive experience caring for patients at the end of life, Calvary Hospital encourages all Americans — regardless of age or medical condition — to do Advance Care Planning.
When a medical crisis occurs, a person is often unable to make decisions on their own. Taking care of Advanced Care Directives by appointing a Health Care Agent and filling out a Living Will ensures that an individual’s surrogate decision-makers have a full understanding of their wishes.
An Advance Care Plan ensures a patient’s family and medical team will act on their behalf if they face a serious medical event.
There are several legal documents that patients and their families can execute to ensure that their wishes are honored. Calvary recommends that all adults complete the following documents:
- A Health Care Proxy is a legal document that designates a trusted person to serve as a patient’s healthcare spokesperson who will make healthcare choices on their behalf if they are unable to communicate or make decisions.
- A Living Will is a legal document that outlines what treatments a patient wants to have or does not want to have in different health situations.
- A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR) is a medical order that instructs healthcare providers not to attempt any intervening lifesaving measures should they present themselves as a potential option when a good outcome is in question.
The Hospital has educational support services to help people: www.calvaryhospital.org/acp. This year Calvary produced a simple step-by-step infographic guide, Advance Care Planning Who Will Speak For You?, to help patients and their families through the Advance Care planning process and answer frequently asked questions.
Through their continued work and public education efforts, Calvary hopes to ease the burden experienced by the loved ones of patients who do not have a plan in place. Today, only 28 percent of home healthcare patients, 65 percent of nursing home residents, and 88 percent of hospice care patients have an advance directive on record. Even among severely or terminally ill patients, fewer than 50 percent had an advance directive in their medical record.
By prioritizing advance directive education, Calvary Hospital is working to educate and empower patients, their families, and healthcare providers to experience the best healthcare outcomes consistent with the desires of each patient.
Media Contact
Company Name: Calvary Hospital
Contact Person: Gloria Calandriello
Email: Send Email
Phone: (718) 518-2246
Address:1740 Eastchester Road
City: Bronx
State: NY 10461
Country: United States
Website: https://www.calvaryhospital.org/