Submitted by Heartland Health Care Center — Moline
National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16th, traditionally the day after tax paperwork is completed and filed away. However, another paperwork project should also be tackled at this time: your healthcare decisions, also referred to as advance directives. “Having a person’s wishes in writing helps take the confusion, guilt, and conflict out of a situation where loved ones may have to make a difficult decision,” said Ali Gonzalez, Admissions Coordinator.
Working with an attorney, you can draft your wishes or advanced directives. Advance directives come in two main forms, a “healthcare power of attorney” (or proxy, agent, or surrogate) which are the documents in which you select a person to be your voice for your healthcare decisions if you cannot speak for yourself. A “living will” documents what kinds of medical treatments you would or would not want at the end of life.
“It’s difficult to have these important discussions with your family and friends, but if we have these difficult conversations, it really lifts a burden when the time comes to make a decision,” said Mrs. Gonzalez. “The ultimate goal is to honor the patient’s wishes and the first step is to understand what the patient’s wishes are.”
Additional resources regarding Advanced Directives can be found on AARP.org and the American Bar Association’s website, www.americanbar.org.
For more information, contact Jodi Mines, Admissions Director 309-764-6744.
Heartland Health Care Center of Moline, located at 833 16th Ave., Moline, Illinois is part of the HCR ManorCare family. The HCR ManorCare healthcare family comprises centers that are providers of short-term post-acute services and long-term care. With 56,000 caregivers nationwide, the HCR ManorCare centers provide quality care for patients and residents through a network of more than 500 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospice and home healthcare agencies. These locations operate primarily under the respected Heartland, ManorCare Health Services, and Arden Courts names.