Home Partners

Providing elder care services and solutions to individuals and families in Maine

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04/06/08

April 16th, 2008 - National Healthcare Decisions Day

Home Partners joins with other national, state and community organizations in a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making-an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16, 2008 as the inaugural National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).

What is an advance directive?

You may be more familiar with the term "Living Will". All adults can benefit from thinking about what their healthcare choices would be if they were unable to speak for themselves. These decisions can be written down in an advance directive so that others know what they are. Advance directives come in two main forms:

A "healthcare power of attorney" (or "proxy" or "agent" or "surrogate") documents the person you select to be your voice for your healthcare decisions if you cannot speak for yourself.

A "living will" documents what kinds of medical treatments you would or would not want at the end of life.

If you have questions about this important topic or for a copy of the required forms, please call our office.