Save time, stress, uncertainty with an advance directive

Metro Wire Staff

It’s important to have a plan if you find yourself in a situation where you cannot make a medical decision for yourself.

April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. It was created to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advanced care planning.

“You can ensure that your preferences are understood if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself due to an accident, injury or sudden illness by having proactive conversations about what type of care is acceptable or not to you,” Aspirus Advance Care Planning Coordinator Heidi Kraege said in a news release this week.

An advance directive is a legal document that explains how you want medical decisions to be made and who to make those decisions if you cannot make them yourself.

The document would guide your family and medical team if there was a sudden car accident or illness that left you unable to communicate your wishes.

“Determining who has the authority to make these decisions on your behalf if you cannot becomes much more difficult and time-consuming in the absence of a properly prepared health care directive,” Kraege added.

A free Advance Care Planning Kit is available by calling the Aspirus Customer Contact Center between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 715-847-2380 or 800-847-4707.

Additional information can be found on the Aspirus website at www.aspirus.org/advance-directives.