It’s not too late for another New year’s resolution. Residents of La Crosse, Wisconsin, believe that talking about death is a healthy idea. Nationwide fewer than 30 percent of people have completed advance directives, but some 96 percent of people who die in La Crosse have a health-care advance directive or similar documentation.
Hospice of the Northwest has begun a Caring Conversations program related to advance directives and other end-of-life issues.
I believe that our community in Everett can match or exceed the success in La Crosse by normalizing conversations about end of life issues and by increasing the number of people who complete advance directives.
Having these conversations show our loved ones we care! The advance care planning process helps us, over the course of our lives, to understand, reflect upon and discuss goals, values and beliefs for being an active participant in our end-of-life health care.
Trained facilitators are available to help us understand the importance of advance planning. I urge you to contact Hospice NW and start your conversation as one of your new year’s resolutions. www.hospicenw.org/contact.cfm.
Sandra Kramer
Everett
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