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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/10/2023
Greencastle, Indiana. As of January 1, 2023, any new advance healthcare directives should utilize the term “Healthcare Representative.” The terms “Healthcare Power of Attorney” or “Medical Power of Attorney” are no longer legally valid in Indiana. However, advance healthcare directive documents utilizing these terms and legally signed PRIOR TO January 1, 2023 will be grandfathered in and do NOT need to be redone.
It is still possible for a healthcare provider to “rely” on a Power of Attorney (POA) document signed on or after January 1 of this year as general evidence of the signer’s intent about whom should make healthcare decisions for the signer if the signer later lacks capacity. In this respect, although a 2023 POA will not confer healthcare decision-making authority on the named agent, a healthcare provider could give the document some weight under I.C. § 16-36-7-1(f).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 05/26/2023
Greencastle, Indiana. Some seriously ill and elderly persons have a difficult time identifying someone to be their healthcare representative. “After a presentation in the community, people frequently approach me saying that they are all alone and do not know whom to ask to be their representative,” said Elaine Peck, Director of the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association. Peck stated that this increasing isolation is due to several factors, including the aging of the population, extended longevity, the mobility of society, and people having fewer or no children.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/05/2023
A healthcare representative is a person chosen to make healthcare decisions, including end-of-life decisions, for someone else should that person become unable to make his or her own decisions due to an accident or illness.
As someone’s healthcare representative, the most important thing you can do is talk to that person about his/her wishes and get a copy of the person’s advance directive(s). The decisions that you - as healthcare representative - might make in the future must be based on what the other person would want, even if those wishes are different from what you would want for yourself. Ask yourself, “If the person were able to speak and to make a decision right now, what would he/she say?” If you do not know the patient’s wishes, you are responsible to make decisions you believe to be in the patient’s best interest.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/05/2023
Many people who are admitted to a hospital – including half of all people over age 65 - are unable to make decisions for themselves. Everyone aged 18 or older in all conditions of health should choose a healthcare representative and talk with him/her. Once you turn 18, your parent or legal guardian no longer automatically serves as your legal healthcare representative. A healthcare representative is the person you choose to make healthcare decisions for you if you should become unable to speak or make decisions for yourself due to an accident or illness.
You must legally identify your healthcare representative in an advance directive. If you do not do so, and become unable to make your own healthcare decisions, Indiana law decides who will make decisions for you. In this situation, your healthcare provider will try to contact someone to provide consent for your care, using a priority list defined in statute. Your health care decisions will be made by the first person your provider is able to contact.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/29/2023
Greencastle, Indiana. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA), along with other national, state, and community organizations, is leading the effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making—an effort that is celebrated on April 16th - National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). As a participating organization, PCHCPA provides information and tools to help people talk about their wishes with loved ones and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives in accordance with Indiana state law. These resources are available at www.pchpca.org. Free local learning opportunities are announced below.
- Tuesday, April 4 – Noon to 1 PM. Free workshop. Choosing your healthcare representative and talking to them. Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church in the Colonnade Room. Register by 5 PM on April 2 at https://dusk-to-dawn.org/.
- Wednesday, April 12 - Noon – 1 PM. Free monthly Advance Healthcare Planning Learning Opportunity, via ZOOM. Register by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Call (765) 301-7614 for additional information.
Friday, April 14 - 10 AM to 3PM. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Association welcomes the public in the Putnam County Hospital lobby with free information about advance healthcare planning and advance directive forms. Masks are required.
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.
Mission Statement: 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.
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (the “Association”) is pleased to release its 2022 annual report to the community, and reports that it accomplished a great deal in 2022 both for the community and to strengthen itself as an organization. Highlights of the year are provided below, and in-depth committee activities and accomplishments follow.
In addition to its ongoing programs and activities, 2022 highlights include the following:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 01-20-2023
Greencastle, Indiana. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA), announces that in 2023, it will again be holding free advance healthcare planning (ACP) Lunch and Learn opportunities that will take place on the second Wednesday of each month from Noon to 1 PM via Zoom. This is the second year the PCHPCA has offered these opportunities to the community. PCHPCA Director, Elaine Peck, said that during 2022, attendance was small at sessions, which created the opportunity for very personalized learning and discussion. She hopes that more attendees will enjoy the opportunity to have their questions about advance healthcare planning answered while enjoying the comfort and convenience of meeting in their home or office.
The next Advance Healthcare Planning Lunch and Learn opportunity is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8 from noon to 1PM. Register by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 5 PM the night before the Lunch and Learn. A Zoom invitation and instructions to access the meeting will be emailed to you the morning of the session. Call 765.301.7614 for assistance and additional information.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
January is more than just the start of the New Year. It’s also National Blood Donor Month, an opportunity to recognize those across the country who regularly roll up their sleeves and help save lives. Without the generosity of those who give so selflessly, millions of patients each year would not have the blood they require for emergency needs or ongoing treatments.
According to ADRP, an International Division of America’s Blood Centers, only 3% of the U.S. population donates blood. This is not enough to consistently support the demand. Many communities experience severe blood shortages.
All of us are likely to know someone who will need blood. The ADRP reports that one in seven patients entering a hospital requires blood to be available. These patients range from trauma victims to persons battling sickle cell disease or who need an organ or bone marrow transplant. Cancer patients use 25 percent of all blood donations, and blood transfusions are needed in one out of every 83 newborn deliveries in America today. Every two seconds, someone in America needs a blood transfusion.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 01/01/2023
Greencastle, Indiana. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) announces its 2023 board of directors. The all-volunteer Board of Directors has members representing healthcare, education, skilled nursing facilities, funeral homes, faith communities, communications, hospice providers, caregivers, emergency responders, and others committed to advancing the PCHPCA mission.
2023 officers are: Tammy Hunter, President; Kelly Russ, Vice President; Judi Purvis, Treasurer; Christina Wagner, Secretary.
2023 Board Members are: Amber Alexander, Jenny Charles, Marilyn Culler, Angie Davis, Matt Demmings, Shannon Detro, Crystal Fortner, Alice Greenburg, Tammy Keenan, Sue McCune, Meagan Montague, Brand Selvia, and Laury Wallace.
Elaine Peck is the Director.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/13/2022
Greencastle, Indiana. During this season of giving, the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association reminds people that advance healthcare planning (ACP) conversations are important for all adults at all stages of life and health. “When people share their thoughts and wishes about end-of-life healthcare with their loved ones, they give their loved ones the gift of peace of mind,” stresses Elaine Peck, PCHPCA Director.
Peck added, “At the end of life, difficult decisions about healthcare treatment must be made by loved ones if the seriously ill person is unable to make their own decisions. Having a sense of what your loved one would have wanted is such a wonderful gift to have at this very sad and stressful time.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/09/2022
Greencastle, Indiana. On November 11 our nation marks Veterans Day and thanks veterans for their service. Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) takes this opportunity to share some of the many resources that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides to seriously ill veterans. “At the PCHPCA, we hear many stories of satisfied veterans receiving high quality diagnostic and other care from the VA,” said Elaine Peck, PCHPCA Director. “Unfortunately, we do not have a VA clinic in Putnam County, but there are clinics in Terre Haute, Martinsville, and Brownsburg, where veterans can receive healthcare and information about the benefits for which they may be eligible.”
Several VA benefits are identified below:
- For veterans who served during a foreign war and meet the income/assets guidelines, the “VA Aid and Attendance Benefit” provides monthly financial support to cover the cost of non-medical care of the veteran such as bathing, eating, and grooming. This monthly income is also available to the spouses of these veterans.
- Medications, artificial limbs, physical therapy, and mobility assistance such as wheelchairs may be available at no cost to the veteran.
- The VA Hospice Benefit does not require a six-month prognosis, and does not require patients to end curative treatment to enroll in hospice. The VA will cover both types of care concurrently, and provides this service both within its own facilities and also in the veteran’s home through collaborations with private community-based hospice and healthcare providers.
- The Indiana Veterans Home is located in West Lafayette and provides several levels of residential care for veterans. They accept Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and private pay. Veterans with a 70% or greater service-connected disability are eligible to receive free nursing care at the Indiana Veterans Home.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/09/2022
Greencastle, Indiana. During National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) wishes to share the message that “Anyone May Request a Hospice Evaluation.” Tammy Hunter, President of the PCHPCA noted that the most frequent comment from families on post hospice-care evaluations, is that they wished they would have accessed hospice care benefits earlier. “We encourage people to become informed about the benefits of palliative and hospice care as early as possible after being diagnosed with a serious illness.”
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is your loved one having repeated medical crises, resulting in trips to the emergency room and hospitalizations?
- Are your loved one’s pain and/or other difficult symptoms becoming harder to manage?
- Are your loved one’s bad days beginning to outnumber the good days?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/08/2022
Greencastle, Indiana. During National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) is pleased to announce the release of a new resource for seriously ill patients, their families, their caregivers, and their healthcare providers. “We are very excited to be able to offer this new patient packet,” said Elaine Peck, Director of the PCHPCA. “We provided folders to Family Medicine of Cloverdale last week, and we are offering them for free to the public and to all Putnam County healthcare providers.”
The new resource folder offers a wealth of information including:
- Home healthcare providers serving Putnam County.
- Home-based personal care providers serving Putnam County.
- Palliative and hospice providers serving Putnam County.
- Wheelchair and stretcher transportation providers serving Putnam County.
- Helpful information about hospice and palliative care.
- Fact-sheets about life-prolonging treatments.
All of us will die, and we either die very quickly or very slowly. Quick deaths - through accident or an acute medical incident – can bring shock and trauma to the loved ones who survive. Slow deaths - from aging or a terminal illness – can bring different challenges and great uncertainty for both the dying person and his/her loved ones and caregivers. Below a PCHPCA Board Member shares a personal story in hopes that it may help others.
“105 years old! Wow, she doesn’t look that old at all. What amazing care you are giving her. She is so lucky to have you looking after her! You are quite something.”
The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association hears many end-of-life stories. These stories are always hard, but sometimes they are also stories of peace, comfort, and enduring love. We work toward the vision that everyone’s end-of-life story can have its own kind of beauty and be a source of inspiration and connectedness. A board member shares her family’s story below, in hopes that it might help others.
When I was asked to share my story about the experience our family has had with cancer care, I did not realize how hard it would be to describe. Considering I have been in hospice and palliative care for over 13 years, I am sure I hold many strong beliefs about how we best care for those with life-limiting illnesses. Our family’s experiences this year reveal that it is more important than ever to educate and advocate about hospice and palliative care, as well as healthcare choices and planning, and it is my hope that our story will help others.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/28/2022
Greencastle, Indiana.
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) is pleased to offer free information and forms to all Putnam County adults wishing to choose a legal healthcare representative and complete other advance healthcare directives. The “My Advance Directives” folder is a deep blue color and full of important information, such as how to choose a healthcare representative, how to be a healthcare representative, and fact sheets about life sustaining treatments.
PCHPCA continues to provide free red Vital Medical Information files for persons who have a serious illness diagnosis or are aged 60 and older.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/11/2022
Greencastle, Indiana.
The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA) is delighted to announce that it was awarded financial support from the Putnam County Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to expand its free Vital Medical Information File program to Putnam County’s most vulnerable populations. “We hope to hear soon when we will receive the grant so we can get started,” said Tammy Hunter, PCHPCA President.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/25/2022
Greencastle, Indiana.
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA), along with other national, state, and community organizations, is leading the effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making—an effort that resulted in April 16 being designated as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). As a participating organization, PCHCPA provides information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with loved ones and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare representative and living will) in accordance with Indiana state laws.
Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association (PCHPCA), announces a free advance healthcare planning (ACP) Lunch and Learn Series of workshops, that will take place on the second Wednesday of each month from Noon to 1 PM via Zoom. PCHPCA Director, Elaine Peck, said she hopes attendees will enjoy the opportunity to have their questions about advance healthcare planning answered while enjoying the comfort and convenience of their home or office.
The first ACP Lunch and Learn session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11 from noon to 1PM. Register by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive a Zoom invitation and instructions. Call (765) 301-7614 for additional information.
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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/05/2022
Greencastle, Indiana.
A healthcare representative is a person chosen to make healthcare decisions, including end-of-life decisions, for someone should that person become unable to make his or her own decisions. This is a very important role. The person who has chosen you trusts you to make the decisions that he or she would make if able.
Putnam County Hospital
1542 S. Bloomington Street
Greencastle, IN 46135
T: 765.301.7614
E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
