ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA: March 31, 2006 marks the one year anniversary
of Terri Schiavo’s death. More than any other story, Ms. Schiavo’s
situation brought the need for living wills and other advance directives to
the forefront of everyone’s attention. In the past year, an unprecedented
number of people have explored their personal health care desires and made plans
for their end-of-life wishes.
However, despite the increased attention and understanding, most Americans
still have not put their wishes down on paper. A recent study by the Pew Research
Center found that, although 70% of Americans have given thought to end-of-life
treatment, only 29% have made a living will.
A number of organizations are commemorating this first anniversary of Terri
Schiavo’s death to promote advance care planning. Caring Connections,
a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO),
is urging Americans to wear a white ribbon to raise awareness, particularly
on March 31st, in memory of Terri Schiavo.
“There are really four critical pieces to ensure that your wishes will
be carried out,” said Attorney Jeff Fleming. “One is to use an attorney
to help you create advance directives. Second, speak with your loved ones about
your desires. Third, make sure you have easy access to your documents, especially
in the event of an emergency, when you wouldn’t be able to reach them
yourself. And finally, make sure that you review these documents periodically
to see if they still reflect your wishes.”
A living will, health care power of attorney, HIPAA release and organ donation
forms are all important documents to consider when doing advance care planning.
It is also vital that these documents can be produced when they are needed,
but that’s often difficult. One study found that advance directives were
not available at the hospital in 3 out of 4 cases when needed.
“This is not surprising, said Attorney Fleming. “We don’t
carry these papers around with us. And family members, in an emergency, are
thinking about their loved one, not about gathering legal documents.”
“Our firm offers a service to our clients as part of their estate planning
and life planning initiatives that makes their healthcare documents available
twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.” The service receives copies
of the clients’ healthcare documents and will electronically transmit
copies of advance directives to the hospital when needed, which is important
especially during an emergency.
This first anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death creates a great opportunity
for all adults – young and old – to make sure their health care
wishes are known and up-to-date. Remember: Terri Schiavo was only 26 when her
ordeal began.
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