FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/24/2023
Greencastle, Indiana. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association is gearing up for National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16th, and in preparation, provides these terms that every adult should know.
- Advance Healthcare Planning (ACP)– Advance healthcare planning is a process for identifying wishes for future medical care should you become unable to make decisions for yourself due to an accident or illness. The critical tasks in advance healthcare planning are to identify a primary and secondary healthcare representative, and to talk with them about your healthcare wishes. Ideally, your wishes are legally documented, shared with your loved ones, recorded in your medical record, revisited periodically, and become more specific as your health changes.
- Advance Directive – An advance directive is a general term for any document in which you provide written instructions about your future healthcare wishes should you become unable to make decisions for yourself due to an accident or illness. A doctor must certify that you are unable to make decisions for yourself prior to these documents going into effect. These documents are witnessed and signed in "advance" and shared with your healthcare representative, loved ones, and physicians. You may change your instructions at any time either verbally or in writing.
- Healthcare Representative – In Indiana, a healthcare representative is the person or persons you choose to make medical decisions for you in the future, if you should become unable to make them for yourself due to an accident or illness. This person may also be referred to as your agent, proxy, or power of attorney for healthcare. It is important to note that you remain responsible for making your own healthcare decisions until a doctor certifies that you are no longer able to do so. A healthcare representative’s responsibility is to make medical decisions in accordance with your wishes, if they are known, and to make decisions in your best interest if your wishes are not known. All adults, of all stages of life and health, should legally designate a healthcare representative in writing with legally required witness signatures.
The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) seeks to enhance the quality of life for the terminally ill, their loved ones, and caregivers, by educating the Putnam County community about the benefits of hospice, palliative care, and advance care planning. PCHPCA is a nonprofit, public charity, and operates with the help of donations, financial support from the Putnam County Community Foundation, and fiscal sponsorship by the Putnam County Hospital. For more information contact Elaine Peck, Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.pchpca.org.
Contact information:
M. Elaine Peck, Director
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association
1542 South Bloomington Street
Greencastle, IN 46135
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
