Advance Directives
Health Care Proxy • Living Will
In order to highlight the vital importance of making healthcare choices in advance of need, Circle of Friends for the Dying launched a program for Ulster County residents called “Peace of Mind for Life” on National Healthcare Decisions Day 2021 (April 16).
Peace of Mind for Life is designed to engage you in conversations about end-of-life care choices. The intention is for every person, regardless of age or health status, to make well-informed choices and to complete their Advance Directives. This will assure that your chosen Health Care Proxy fully understands your wishes as directed in your Living Will.
Advance Directives protect an individual’s personal healthcare choices in the case of an unexpected event or critical illness that may compromise the ability to speak or verbalize wishes.
More than 90% of individuals in national studies wish to have a Healthcare Proxy and a Living Will. Yet, less than a third have actually completed these accessible and essential documents. By completing Advance Directives, individuals ensure that their wishes and preferences are filed, honored, and respected. These are important choices that people make for themselves and for their family.
In Spring 2021 we held two information events to help people learn how to articulate and protect their healthcare wishes. Look for more Peace of Mind for Life workshops on our Events page. Until one is scheduled, please access our free New York State Advance Directive forms and begin filling them out (or updating the ones you already have). And if you have any questions about how to fill out the forms, please call 845-802-0970 for guidance and support.