WAUSAU, WI (OnFocus) – People don’t like to talk about it, but it’s important to have a plan if you find yourself in a situation where you cannot make a medical decision for yourself.
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. It was created to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.
“Wisconsin and Michigan are not next-of-kin states which means family members are not automatically authorized to make heath care decisions for you unless you have completed an Advance Directive naming them as an agent,” said Heidi Kraege, an Advance Care Planner with Aspirus Health.
An advance directive is a legal document that explains how you want medical decisions to be made and who to make those decisions if you cannot make them yourself.
“This would guide your family and medical team if there was a sudden incident or illness that left you unable to communicate your wishes,” adds Kraege.
Aspirus Health offers assistance for people interested in or needing help filling out Advance Directives.
Appointments are available through a FREE program called “Honoring Choices”. These appointments are offered at many locations and times. Trained Advance Care Planning facilitators will assist you in exploring and documenting your wishes.
Additional information can be found on the Aspirus website at www.aspirus.org/advance-directives. To schedule a FREE appointment, call the Aspirus Customer Contact Center at 715-847-2380.
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Author: News Desk
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