Guidance on Advanced Care Planning offered on April 16

FRANKLIN — On April 16, in observance of National Healthcare Decisions Day, Franklin Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice is offering an opportunity to learn about Advanced Care Planning and how important this can be to your family. Area residents can meet with the agency's medical social worker, hospice administrator, and chaplain to discuss what Advance Care Planning is and how to prepare for the unexpected for yourself and your loved ones. There will be two sessions held at the agency's offices at 75 Chestnut St. in Franklin, 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. To reserve a spot, call Nancy at 603-934-3454.

Some of the most difficult conversations we have with our loved ones are the ones where we discuss what our wishes are for medical treatment if we were unable to make medical decisions for ourselves. Though this topic is hard to discuss, many of us will face the need to make medical decisions for a loved one, and doubt we have made the same choices our loved one would have made. If we are fortunate, our loved one planned ahead and wrote down in an Advanced Directive what their wishes were. Unfortunately, the reality is that many families are left wondering.

What are Advanced Directives? Broadly they are decisions about the care you would want to receive if you become unable to speak for yourself based on your personal values, preferences, and discussions with your loved ones. For example, if you are in an accident or have an illness that leaves you unable to talk about your wishes, who do you want to make decisions for you? What about if you were in a coma or the end stages of dementia? Would you want a feeding tube placed or to receive mechanical intubation? If you had a heart attack, would you want CPR?

Conversations regarding end of life are deeply personal; the conversation is not easy. People often wonder how, when and where to discuss them. Is there a way to know the right time or place to talk with my family about my wishes? For Elaine Cartier, Hospice Administrator at the Franklin VNA & Hospice, the answer is a simple, “Yes,” Cartier says, “This conversation doesn’t have to be scary and together we can plan ahead.”