|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Elder Care News
Hospice Community Applauds AMA Support of Advance
Directives
AMA builds on lessons from Terri Schiavo for
end-of-life planning
June 15, 2006 - The American Medical Association
voted during its Annual Meeting this week to increase efforts to educate
patients about the importance of end-of-life planning. The action
received applause from the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization, which has more than 15,000 hospice and professional
members.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Better Palliative Care Access, National Health Care
Plan Recommended by HHS Working Group
Citizens' Health Care Working Group wants core health care for all by
2012
June 3, 2006 A basic national health program was
the key recommendation in a report released yesterday by the Citizens'
Health Care Working Group, which was created by the 2003 Medicare
Modernization Act. That is earthshaking news but, as most
recommendations by government working groups, it will probably not
create many waves. Senior citizens, already covered by a national health
plan, will be more interested in a recommendation to restructure the way
palliative care, hospice care and other end-of-life services are
financed and provided, so people in need have increased access to these
services.
Read
more...
Views on End-of-Life Care Vary Widely, Differ by
Ethnic Groups, Sex, Race
Jan. 23, 2006 Researchers at the University of
Michigan set out to explore how older Americans feel about their
personal care as they near the end of their lives. They were surprised
by the diversity of views and found some significant differences
determined by race, ethnic group and sex.
Read more...
Senior Citizens Choose More Drastic Treatment as
Health Declines
Poses challenge to
advance care planning for end-of-life care
April 25, 2006 Although it is difficult to find
this surprising, a study of older people with advanced chronic illnesses
has found them more likely to accept treatments that result in
mild-to-severe functional disability as their health declines.
Read more...
Read more
News on Eldercare |
|
"The tragic case of Terri Schiavo made many
Americans acutely aware of the risks associated with not clearly
communicating end-of-life decisions, but many are unsure about how to
locate information or even begin the process of obtaining an advance
directive," said AMA Board Member
Robert M. Wah, MD.
"The AMA is committed to helping educate patients
and physicians about the importance of end-of-life care planning."
Caring Connections, a program of NHPCO, has been
working to help the public and healthcare professionals learn more about
advance care planning. More than three million visitors have been to
Caring Connections Web site,
www.caringinfo.org, and have downloaded more than 530,000
state-specific advance directive forms.
The toll free Helpline, 800-658-8898, has responded
to more than 77,000 telephone inquiries requesting advance directive
information since last March
Hospices have long been educating people about
advance care planning and they have a strong history of community
outreach, remarked J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.
Physicians and their staff play an important role
in encouraging conversations about the importance of planning before
someone experiences a health care crisis. Through our Caring Connections
initiative, we provide information directly to the public and provide
resources to hospices and end-of-life coalitions working to increase
awareness about advance directives, he added.
"Advance directives give incapacitated patients a
voice in their end-of-life care," said AMA Trustee Robert M. Wah, MD.
"Too often, family members are unaware or conflicted about their loved
one's wishes. An advance directive helps to clarify the difficult
decisions."
"Be sure to talk to loved ones about living wills
and other end of life planning before it's too late," said Dr. Wah.
"Creating an advance directive is a reliable way to ensure that your
wishes will be followed."
He said the AMA will work with Medicare, health
insurers and state Departments of Motor Vehicles to distribute
information.
Dr. Wah also encouraged patients to talk to their
physician and use the health care community as a resource to help make
educated decisions for the future."
Caring Connections provides free state-specific
advance directive documents and information about advance care planning
as part of the Its About How You LIVE campaign to improve end-of-life
care. Caring Connections also offers information flyers to help people
talk with loved ones, ask questions of their doctors, and understand the
range of issues involved in care at the end of life.
Visit Caring Connections at
www.caringinfo.org or call 800-658-8898 for more information on
end-of-life care. Support for this program is provided by a grant from
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey.
|
Nursing Home Abuse, Medical Malpractice? Contact a lawyer.
click here
|
|
|
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
