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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Speare Memorial Hospital
(603) 536-1120
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November 11 , 2007 |
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Advance Care Planning Presented by SMH
The case of Terri Schiavo underscores the importance of documenting your future healthcare decisions
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| PLYMOUTH, N.H. --- Does your family know what healthcare decisions you would make in the event of a debilitating illness or at the end of your life? Advance Care Planning allows you to participate in the planning of your future healthcare needs so family and friends know what is important to you when you can’t speak for yourself.
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| Helping you through the planning process and documenting your Advance Directives is the focus of Speare Memorial Hospital’s next Health & Wellness presentation Advance Directives on Wednesday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m. The program is free and will be presented in the Community Room at the Citizen’s Bank Building in Plymouth.
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| Speare Memorial Hospital’s Director of Social Services Kathy Wielczko will lead the interactive session and help attendees understand the process of designating a healthcare agent and documenting a living will. Wielczko says, “Many times, patients’ most important healthcare decisions come at a time when they can no longer speak for themselves due to illness or at the end-of-life. Advance Directives are such an important part of long-term care planning that should not just be discussed in our 60’s and 70’s, but in our 20’s.
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| “One only needs to recall the case of Terri Schiavo to know how important Advance Directives are,” Wielczko continues. “Terri was 41 when she died after living 15 years in a ‘persistent vegetative state’, seven of which centered on a legal battle between her husband and parents over removal of her feeding tube, which was sustaining her. Our hope with this presentation to get adults of all ages to being the process of thinking and talking about what is important to them, and how to ensure their wishes are honored in the event of a life-threatening illness or end-of-life care.” |
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| Wielczko’s presentation will cover appointing a durable power of attorney for healthcare that you designate to make such decisions on the use of life-sustaining treatment or medically administered nutrition and hydration. She will also discuss the Living Will, which documents your desire not to artificially prolong life. Following her presentation, Wieliczko can assist with the completion of Advance Directives or provide further counsel as requested.
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| SMH’s annual Health & Wellness series covers a wide range of topics of interest. All presentations are free and held at 20 Highland St, Citizen’s Bank, in Plymouth, unless otherwise noted. |
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Other programs scheduled for the 2007 – 2008 season are:
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008: Heart Health, Location: Inter-Lakes Community Center in Meredith
- Saturday, March 15, 2008: Eldercare: Conference for Families and Seniors, Location TBD
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008: Living with Asthma
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| For more information on these or other community programs offered by Speare Memorial Hospital, contact Michele Hutchins, director of community relations, at (603) 238-6468. Speare Memorial Hospital is a 24-hour, acute care, non-profit community hospital and health care provider serving Plymouth, and the communities of central New Hampshire, for more than a century.
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Michele Barney Hutchins
Director of Community Relations
Speare Memorial Hospital
(603) 238-6468
mhutchins@spearehospital.com
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