Hospice group to boost advance directive filings

Hospice of Wrangell reports it is kicking off a campaign this week to collect advance directives, educating local residents about them and assisting in their completion.

Advance directives are legal documents that include both a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. A living will conveys a person’s wishes about end-of-life care decisions to their family and medical providers. A durable power of attorney allows a designated person to receive medical information and make health care decisions either now or at a time of future disability.

Without these documents a patient could end up in a situation without a say, with the end decision having to be made in court. All the while, medical professionals are obligated to provide often expensive treatment to prolong the patient’s life.

The hospice group’s goal is to double the number of advance directive copies filed with Wrangell Medical Center’s Health Information Management office by May 1, 2015. The medical center reports that 89 people currently have advance directives filed at the facility. Filing at the hospital allows for quick retrieval of advance directive information, which can be invaluable in situations where a patient becomes unable to communicate.

Advance directive forms and informational brochures are currently available at the medical center and at the Irene Ingle Public Library. Once completed, the form requires either a notarized signature or the signatures of two, uninvolved witnesses.

The campaign will be focused on educating the public about its available options.

“The idea is to sit down individually and explain the form itself,” said Alice Rooney, president of Wrangell Hospice.

Rooney and Jenn Gogol will be available for information and assistance with the forms each Thursday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the library conference room until Thanksgiving. People interested can also contact the director of Health Information Management at WMC, Cathy Gross, at 874-7124.

Hospice of Wrangell is a local volunteer group, seeking to improve the quality of life at the end of life through provision of direct services and education to the community.