Only 35.7% of Americans have completed some advance directive. The percentage of completed directives were higher among Americans with a chronic illness and were significantly higher among people who were older than 65. April 16, 2023, is National Healthcare Decisions Day. It’s a day set aside to inspire, educate, and empower the public and healthcare providers about the importance of advance care planning. Below, find ideas on how to get started with education in your facility or community.
Step 1: Think About It: Why does this work matter to you?
Step 2: Plan Your Strategy: What do you hope to accomplish? What will you do to get there and with whom? What can you measure to track your goal?
- Who do you want to reach, how many and by when?
- What are you hoping people will do?
- How and where do you want to reach them?
- What do you need to know about your target audience before you begin?
- Who else is already doing work on this topic in your community? Who else could you be working with?
- Who are respected leaders or organizations that could help you advocate for the importance of this work? Are YOU the respected leader?
- Who will be responsible for actually doing this work?
- What do you need to get started?
- What can you measure to track your goal?
- How will you capture and learn from successes and challenges?
Step 3: Take action!
Step 4: Keep it going!
The Conversation Project’s “Getting Started Gide for Communities” is a great resource for you to plan and organize an Advance Care Planning event at your facility or in your community. Print it out and use it as you think about how you can bring awareness to the importance of Advance Care Planning.
