Driving Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Care

So that Every Delawarean Is Aware of Issues and Choices Related to Hospice and Palliative Care

"National Healthcare Decisions Day (sometimes referred to as NHDD) is an annual initiative celebrated on April 16th to encourage and empower people to begin or continue conversations about their wishes for care through the end of life. NHDD is an initiative to educate people on the importance of advance care planning. It encourages individuals to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be (1)."

Despite high interest, many Delawareans do not formally document their wishes, with a significant gap in care planning for chronic illnesses.

"Advance Care Planning has been shown to help align treatment with patient preference, reduce end‐of‐life hospitalization and costs, and support family members during surrogate decision making and bereavement.

By 2050, 21.4% of the United States population is expected to be 65+, thus making advance care planning (ACP) increasingly important.
Only 20% of those in the study had a written advance directive (2)."

An advance directive is a legally binding document that gives instructions for your healthcare in the event that you are no longer able to make or communicate those decisions yourself. Laws and instructions differ by state.

Download an Advance Health Care Directive Form

The Delaware Quality of Life Coalition (DQOLC) is a broad coalition of individuals, organizations, and state agencies aimed at improving the lives of Delawareans living the final phase of their lives and helping those who care for them.

Your support helps us to provide education on topics such as:

Resources

Promote Medical Decision Making in Delaware

Do you have 10 minutes to do one of these 10 things to plan for your health care?