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Plan ‘the conversation’ about advance health care

Don’t put off making your health care wishes known, warns Gary Johanson, M.D., medical director of Palliative Care Services and Memorial Hospice for St. Joseph Health of Sonoma County. “Now is the time to speak up, because when facing a life-threatening illness or injury, more than 50 percent of us will not be able to make or convey our own decisions.”

While some 82 percent of Californians say it is important to have end-of-life wishes in writing, only 23 percent say they have done so, according to the Coalition of Compassionate Care of California.

Addressing that gap is the informational event “Who’s Life is it Anyway?” a free presentation on Sunday, October 19, at Burlingame Hall, 242 W. Spain St. in Sonoma. The 2 to 4 p.m. seminar is hosted by Congregation Shir Shalom and First Congregational Church.

“There’s a lot about death that we can’t predict or control, but you can learn how to be proactive about controlling what you can by exploring your wishes and expressing your wishes, so you can have your wishes honored,” said presenter Jane Eckels, who will explain what an advance care directive is, provide tips on how to select an “agent” (someone to speak on your behalf if you are unable to do so), and what to discuss with them.

Also speaking and taking questions will be Rabbi Steve Finley, spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Shalom, Karen Garber, RN, with Hospice of Petaluma, and Henry Lasky, board member of Senior Advocacy Services and member of the Coalition for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.

The event launches My Care, My Plan – Speak Up Sonoma County, an advance care planning community initiative. The goals of the campaign are to raise community awareness and normalize “the conversation” about advance health care planning throughout the community; motivate individuals, families and surrogates to express end-of-life wishes; increase the quantity and quality of advance health care planning conversations between individuals and their healthcare providers; and promote alignment of end-of-life care with individuals’ documented wishes.

For more information about the October 19 presentation, the initiative or to inquire about scheduling an advance health care planning presentation or workshop, contact Jenay Cottrell at 707.565.5738 or jcottrell@schsd.org.

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