Advance Planning for End of Life Wishes

Artful Home Care Inc: Sunset Fall 2017

Dear Reader,

A few weeks ago I attended a palliative care and advance planning workshop for healthcare professionals, hosted by NYU Langone and the NYU Alzheimers Disease Center.
Hearing from Dr. Chodosh and Dr. Lowy it is clear there are many families who don’t know when to get an advance directive in place, nor do they really know where to turn when they may be faced with a life-threatening or terminal disease.

The physicians surprisingly admitted to seeing many colleagues neglect their obligations to properly inform clients when to get a MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment,) and that many doctors do not provide sufficient guidance for ensuring their patients have a health care proxy or an advance directive in place.  It is critical, especially to families of loved one recently diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, to understand what matters to the individual before it is too late.  This planning can be done with your physician, a loved one, a lawyer (and maybe a witness or two).  But for many families, they struggle to find the resources or the time to spend learning about how best to plan for the end of life.

That is where End of Life Choices New York comes in.  Three speakers from End of Life Choices NY shared valuable insight.  We want to know and honor the wishes of those we love and through the resources offered by EOLNY, anyone can receive free information from the professional team of social workers, physicians, and lawyers.
This workshop offered me a chance to hear from Laurie Leonard LMSW and David Leven, JD, Executive Directors of End of Life Choices New York, and Judith Schwarz, Ph.D., the Clinical Director.  I encourage those who may need answers for themselves or a family member to reach out to 212-726-2010 or email info@endoflifechoicesny.org.

For those who are seeking to remain home and their wish is to do so, please contact Artful Home Care to learn more about our private duty hourly and live-in home care services.  Our trusted lifestyle companions can support the end of life choices made and provide a high level of quality care.  Quality of life is about ensuring personal wishes are honored.  Let us help you or your loved one in learning about quality care on Long Island. Call us today, 631-259-6472. We are more than a home care agency, we are a way of life!

Sincerely,

Beth McNeill-Muhs
Artful Home Care, President
631-259-6472
beth@artfulhomecare.net