This is how advance care planning brings peace of mind

(BPT) - You can probably imagine how important it is for someone with a serious illness to have an advance care directive — instructions about their wishes in the event they're unable to communicate what they want in the future. The fact is, 1 out of 3 people will need someone to speak for them in a healthcare emergency. That means making your wishes clear in case of a future medical condition or emergency is recommended for everyone, while they're still healthy.

National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16, is a good reminder to start or complete your advance care planning (ACP). While it can be difficult to think about, making plans now will bring peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmu@C E96 A2DE `d J62CD[ E96 }2E:@?2= w@DA:46 2?5 !2==:2E:G6 r2C6 ~C82?:K2E:@? 92D 366? 6?4@FC28:?8 962=E9J A6@A=6 E@ @FE=:?6 E96:C H:D96D :? 2? 25G2?46 5:C64E:G6D A=2? D@ E96:C AC@G:56CD[ 72>:=J 2?5 42C68:G6CD F?56CDE2?5 E96:C H:D96D :? 42D6 @7 2 >65:42= 6>6C86?4J @C D6C:@FD :==?6DD]k^Am

kAmQxEVD 4CF4:2= 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 E@ >2<6 A=2?D C67=64E:?8 J@FC 42C6 H:D96D[Q D2:5 sC] |:4926= v23C:6=[ ?2E:@?2= >65:42= 5:C64E@C 7@C r2C6=@? !2==:2E:G6 r2C6] Q(9:=6 E96 E@A:4 :D F?4@>7@CE23=6[ 92G:?8 2 4=62C A=2? :? A=246 H96? J@F ?665 @?6 =6ED J@F 7@4FD @? H92E >2EE6CD] xE 2=D@ 96=AD J@FC =@G65 @?6D 2G@:5 :?564:D:@?[ 4@?7=:4E @C 8F:=E 2E 2 G6CJ DEC6DD7F= E:>6]Qk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!2==:2E:G6 42C6 A=2??:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm*@FC A=2??:?8 D9@F=5 :?4=F56 J@FC H:D96D C682C5:?8 A2==:2E:G6 42C6] (96? D@>6@?6 7246D 2 D6C:@FD 49C@?:4 @C E6C>:?2= :==?6DD[ A2==:2E:G6 42C6 96=AD AC@G:56 E96 36DE A@DD:3=6 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 2E 2 5:77:4F=E E:>6] %96 A2==:2E:G6 42C6 E62>D 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42C6=@?]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmr2C6=@?k^2m 96=A E96:C >6>36CD FD6 25G2?46 42C6 A=2??:?8 E@ 8F:56 E96:C 962=E942C6 564:D:@?D ?@H — >2<:?8 A=2?D C67=64E:?8 6249 :?5:G:5F2=VD F?:BF6 H:D96D 7@C E96 52JD 29625]k^Am

kAmt249 A9JD:4:2?\=65 :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ A2==:2E:G6 42C6 E62> :?4=F56D 2 ?FCD6 AC24E:E:@?6C[ ?FCD6 2?5 D@4:2= H@C<6C[ H9@ H@C< E@86E96C E@ DFAA@CE A6@A=6 H:E9 E96:C >65:42=[ 6>@E:@?2= 2?5 D@4:2= ?665D] r2C6=@?VD 9@>6\32D65 A2==:2E:G6 42C6 AC@8C2> :D 56D:8?65 E@ 4@>A=6>6?E J@FC 5@4E@CVD 42C6[ ?@E C6A=246 :E]k^Am

kAmQxE @776CD 6IEC2 DFAA@CE H96? J@F ?665 :E >@DE[ 96=A:?8 J@F 766= =6DD @G6CH96=>65[Q 25565 v23C:6=] Q*@F 42? C646:G6 A2==:2E:G6 42C6 2=@?8D:56 J@FC EC62E>6?E[ H9:49 96=AD 62D6 52:=J 492==6?86D 2?5 96=AD J@F ?2G:82E6 E96 962=E942C6 DJDE6>]Qk^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mq6?67:ED @7 25G2?46 42C6 A=2??:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmpr! 724:=:E2E6D :>A@CE2?E A6CD@?2= 5:D4FDD:@?D E92E 6?DFC6 J@FC G2=F6D 2C6 6IAC6DD65 2?5 J@FC H:D96D 2C6 9@?@C65 :7 J@F 42?VE 4@>>F?:42E6 E96> J@FCD6=7]k^Am

kAmr2C6=@?VD A9JD:4:2?\=65 42C6 E62> 42? 96=A J@F >2<6 :?7@C>65 962=E942C6 49@:46D[ 2?5 E96:C D@4:2= H@C<6CD 42? 2DD:DE H:E9 4C62E:?8 25G2?46 5:C64E:G6D W=682= 5@4F>6?EDX] %9:D >2J :?4=F56 2 =:G:?8 H:== 7@C 7FEFC6 962=E9 42C6 49@:46D[ 2?5 2 5FC23=6 A@H6C @7 2EE@C?6J W962=E942C6 AC@IJX E92E ?2>6D D@>6@?6 E@ >2<6 564:D:@?D 7@C J@F :7 J@F 42?VE] (:E9 r2C6=@? 2?5 pr![ J@F 2?5 J@FC =@G65 @?6D 36?67:E 7C@>ik^Am

kF= EJA6lQ5:D4Qmk=:mkDEC@?8ms64:D:@? 8F:52?46ik^DEC@?8m w6=AD J@F >2<6 :>A@CE2?E 564:D:@?D 32D65 @? J@FC AC676C6?46D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m$J>AE@> >2?286>6?Eik^DEC@?8m (@C< H:E9 J@FC 962=E942C6 E62> E@ 3@@DE J@FC 962=E9 2?5 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m!2E:6?E\46?E6C65 42C6ik^DEC@?8m *@FC 5@4E@CD 2?5 42C6 E62> E2:=@C EC62E>6?E E@ 9@H 2?5 H96C6 J@F H2?E E@ C646:G6 42C6]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m!6246 @7 >:?5ik^DEC@?8m s@4F>6?E:?8 J@FC H:D96D 62D6D 7FEFC6 DEC6DD 7@C J@F 2?5 =@G65 @?6D[ 96=A:?8 E96> 2G@:5 E@F89 564:D:@?D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m%:>6=J 9@DA:46 EC2?D:E:@?Dik^DEC@?8m w6=AD 6?DFC6 62DJ EC2?D:E:@?D E@ 9@DA:46 42C6[ 9@?@C:?8 J@FC H:D96D 2?5 >:?:>:K:?8 9@DA:E2= G:D:ED]k^=:mk^F=m

kAmkDEC@?8m(92E E@ <?@H 23@FE 9@DA:46k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm(96? ?66565[ r2C6=@? 96=AD 25G:D6 A6@A=6 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D @? 9@DA:46 42C6 @AE:@?D] r2C6=@? !2==:2E:G6 r2C6 42? 96=A J@F >2?286 J@FC 4@?5:E:@?[ 2?5 2D J@F :>AC@G6[ 8F:56 J@FC 42C6 324< E@ J@FC AC:>2CJ 5@4E@CD] %96 E62> 2=D@ 96=AD H96? EC62E>6?ED ?@ =@?86C H@C<[ 2DD:DE:?8 H:E9 :>A@CE2?E 564:D:@?D 2C@F?5 9@DA:46 42C6[ 7@4FD:?8 @? 4@>7@CE 2?5 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 r2C6=@? :D ?@E 2 9@DA:46 AC@G:56C[ E96 E62>VD 9@DA:46 6IA6CED 42? 6IA=2:? E96 AC@46DD 2?5 2?DH6C BF6DE:@?D 7@C J@F 2?5 J@FC =@G65 @?6D] %96J 42? 96=A J@F 7:?5 E@A 42C6 ?62C3J[ 2?5 FDF2==J EC2?D:E:@? J@F H:E9:? ac 9@FCD]k^Am

kAmQw@DA:46 AC@G:56D 2 HC2A2C@F?5 4@>7@CE 3F33=6 7@C 72>:=:6D[Q 25565 v23C:6=] QxEVD G6CJ 4@>>@? 7@C A6@A=6 E@ H2:E F?E:= G6CJ 4=@D6 E@ 562E9 E@ 6?C@== :? 9@DA:46[ 3FE @FC A2==:2E:G6 42C6 5@4E@CD[ ?FCD6 AC24E:E:@?6CD 2?5 @E96C E62> >6>36CD 2C6 6IA6CED 2E :56?E:7J:?8 H96? >6>36CD 2C6 6=:8:3=6 7@C 9@DA:46 42C6]Qk^Am

kAmr2C6=@? A2E:6?ED E92E EC2?D:E:@? E@ 9@DA:46 42C6 92G6 2 >65:2? DE2J @7 23@FE bh 52JD[ 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 `g\52J ?2E:@?2= 2G6C286] t2C=:6C EC2?D:E:@? E@ 9@DA:46 42C6[ H96? 2AAC@AC:2E6[ >62?D A2E:6?ED 6IA6C:6?46ik^Am

kF= EJA6lQ5:D4Qmk=:mkDEC@?8mq6EE6C 42C6ik^DEC@?8m pG@:5D F??646DD2CJ EC62E>6?ED E92E >2J :?4C62D6 DF776C:?8 H:E9@FE :>AC@G:?8 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m{6DD DEC6DDik^DEC@?8m u2>:=:6D 42? 6?;@J >@C6 E:>6 E@86E96C]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8m{@H6C 4@DEDik^DEC@?8m #65F46D 9@DA:E2= DE2JD 2?5 AC@465FC6D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8mr=62C6C 4@>>F?:42E:@?ik^DEC@?8m t?DFC6D 42C6 2=:8?D H:E9 J@FC ?665D]k^=:mk=:mkDEC@?8mq6EE6C @FE4@>6Dik^DEC@?8m !2E:6?ED 42? 49@@D6 H96C6 E96J A2DD[ =:<6 2E 9@>6]k^=:mk^F=m

kAmkDEC@?8m(9@ D9@F=5 4@?D:56C 25G2?46 42C6 A=2??:?8nk^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAmtG6CJ@?6 D9@F=5 5:D4FDD 6?5\@7\=:76 H:D96D H:E9 E96:C 962=E942C6 AC@G:56CD 2?5 =@G65 @?6D[ :562==J H96? 962=E9J] xEVD 6G6? >@C6 4CF4:2= :7 J@F 92G6 49C@?:4 4@?5:E:@?D[ 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ @7 D6C:@FD :==?6DD[ 492?8:?8 962=E9 DE2EFD @C 2C6 ?62C 6?5 @7 =:76] p5G2?46 42C6 A=2??:?8 ?@H :D <6J E@ 36EE6C 6?5\@7\=:76 42C6[ D@ J@FV== 36 23=6 E@ 36EE6C D92A6 J@FC 7FEFC6 42C6 244@C5:?8 E@ J@FC H:D96D]k^Am

kAm{62C? >@C6 23@FE A2==:2E:G6 42C6 2?5 25G2?46 42C6 A=2??:?8 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42C6=@?]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmr2C6=@?]4@>k^2m]k^Am

Latest e-Edition

Key West Citizen

Breaking

STATE AMENDS NO-CONTACT ORDERS IN CITY CORRUPTION CASE

This is how advance care planning brings peace of mind

Sections

Sections

Services

Rate:
Begins:
Transaction ID:

Latest e-Edition

Key West Citizen

Log In Using Your Account

Breaking

STATE AMENDS NO-CONTACT ORDERS IN CITY CORRUPTION CASE

Featured Local Savings

Recommended for you

Sections

Sections

Services

Sign Up

You're all set!

Log In

Reset Password

Forgot Password

Email me a log in link

Promotional Offers

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

You're all set!

An error occurred