National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is an initiative designed to help people express their wishes regarding healthcare and for the providers, facilities, and loved ones in their lives to respect those wishes, whatever they may be. This initiative isn’t just about end-of-life care for people with Parkinson’s, though it can be. It’s also about providing resources to all so that every individual may have their healthcare wishes understood and met.
“The Conversation Project emphasizes having a conversation on values — what matters to you, not what‘s the matter with you.” – Ellen Goodman, Co-Founder & Director
The Conversation Project® is a public engagement initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Its goal is to help people discuss their wishes for care through the end of their lives so those wishes can be understood and respected.
At first blush, this topic isn’t an easy sell. Who among us is excited about preparing for the day when we can’t make decisions or are facing the end of our lives? But as it turns out, people are more open to it than you might think.
According to a study conducted by The Conversation Project in 2018, 92% of Americans say it’s important to discuss their wishes for end-of-life care, but only 32% have had such a conversation. Ninety-five percent say they would not only be willing to talk about their wishes, but 53% said they’d be relieved to discuss them. When we hosted a session during The Victory Summit® event in Seattle on advance directives, we experienced that same level of interest from our community members.
So, on this National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is happening during Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we’d like to encourage you to think about what you would like your end-of-life care to look like, what aspects of your care matter most to you, and what you need to do now so that when the time does come, as it will for all of us, that your wishes are honored and implemented.
Fortunately, The Conversation Project has made it easy for you. Visit their advance care planning page to download valuable and state-specific resources here.
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Thank you to our 2023 Peak Partners, Amneal, Kyowa Kirin, and Sunovion, and our Every Victory Counts Gold Sponsor, AbbVie Grants, for their ongoing support of these must-have manuals. Additionally, we’d like to thank Barbara and Dale Ankenman, Abby and Ken Dawkins, Bonnie Gibbons, Gail Gitin in loving memory of Gene Gitin, Irwin Narter, and Lorraine and J Wilson for their generous donations that allow us to make these resources available and free to all.