Forrest Health announced in a press release that beginning on July 9, the facility will offer free monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month to assist with and educate about the advance care planning process. Advance care planning is the process of making decisions about future medical care.
There are often situations in which patients become incapacitated and are unable to speak for themselves, leaving caregivers and loved ones with the responsibility of making decisions on their behalf. Through advance care planning, difficult decisions can be taken out of the hands of loved ones who may or may not be aware of the patient’s wishes. An Advance Directive, a written plan to accurately represent the patient’s preferences for treatment, ensures the patient’s wishes being honored while relieving the burden of those decisions on families.
The meetings will be led by Amber Chancellor, RN, assistant professor at the Southern Miss School of Nursing. The meetings will include question and answer sessions and will cover topics such as definition and discussion of advance care planning, resources for guidance through creating an Advance Directive, choosing an advocate, exploring beliefs and values, expressing preferences and sharing plans.
For more information, visit www.forresthealth.org/classes.
