March 24, 2005

Advocates For Advanced Care Planning Offer Seminars

The Advocates for Advanced Care Planning coalition will present four community seminars offering information about advanced care planning, the importance of discussion regarding final wishes, and a chance to meet with specially trained facilitators who can guide families through the process.

Generations Area Agency on Aging, Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System are participating in the coalition to standardize the advanced care planning process among all hospitals in the Quad Cities.

Here is the schedule for the seminars:
6:30-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 30, Genesis Heart Institute lower level, 1236 E. Rusholme Street, Davenport.
6:30-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 30, Trinity West Campus Jardine Auditorium, 2701 17th Street, Rock Island.
2-3:30 p.m., Thursday, March 31, Trinity West Campus Jardine Auditorium, 2701 17th Street, Rock Island.
9:30-11 a.m., Friday, April 1, Genesis Heart Institute lower level, 1236 E. Rusholme Street, Davenport.

To sign up for an informational seminar, contact Generations Area Agency on Aging at 563-324-9085. There is no cost to attend.

Advocates for Advanced Care Planning is devoted to looking for ways to make end-of-life issues easier for families. When a loved one is in the hospital, it can be emotionally draining for family members who may be faced with understanding and carrying out end-of-life decisions. Both individuals and health-care providers want to be certain that personal wishes are honored, yet confusion is still possible if an advanced care plan does not exist, or is incomplete.

In the past, a very low percentage of patients admitted to the hospital had a completed advance care directive. Furthermore, because of multiple forms and the uneven quality of the planning process, many of those documents are of limited use in a crisis situation.

“Advanced care planning assists individuals in understanding, reflecting and communicating future medical treatment and preferences to their loved ones and their health care providers,’’ said Sharon Meister, Generations voluneer and a project coordinator. “Our goal is to shift from a focus on just completing the legal documents to quality conversations between the individuals and their family.’’

Under the new plan, a specially trained community facilitator will hold an extended conversation with indivdiuals and their families about advanced care planning prior to completing the forms. By encouraging thoughtful discussion, it will be more helpful to the individual making the care plan, as well as that person’s family and health-care providers. The process is available at no cost.

“Our goal is to not only increase the number of people in the health systems with an advanced plan, but with a correct one,’’ said Marvin Webb, Executive Director and CEO, Generations Area Agency on Aging. “Our participation is consistent with our mission of connecting seniors and their caregivers with support services.’’

The new advanced care planning forms ask specific questions about common decisions that need to be made, such as when and if you would need a feeding tube, CPR and the type of comfort care you prefer for pain and symptom management.