National Healthcare Decisions Day is on Thursday, April 16, 2009. Potomac Hospital will provide an informational brochure, Your Right to Decide, and Virginia advance directive forms to visitors throughout the day. Interested visitors may also receive assistance completing the necessary forms during three drop-by sessions. Please call (703) 583-3003 for times. The brochure, which includes the Virginia advance directive form, can also be ordered online and at the Information Desk in Potomac Hospital’s main lobby.

Background: An estimated three out of four American adults have not completed a Living Will of any kind. This is partially due to the difficulty involved in thinking about and discussing your own death and dying issues with your family, friends, physician or attorney. Medical treatment issues involving life-prolonging procedures are not the only concerns surrounding end of life. If you have strong feelings about what constitutes death with dignity and comfort, it is essential that you discuss your wishes and put them in writing.

Thinking about your own values, discussing them with those close to you, and then putting them in writing can help you approach the end of life with a plan and greater peace of mind. In 1990, Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. It requires healthcare institutions to tell patients and the people in their communities about their rights under Federal and State law to make decisions about their end-of-life medical treatment. These rights include the right to accept or refuse care and the right to make advance directives about their care

This page was last updated on July 13, 2010