Take time to plan ahead now so future healthcare challenges don’t create difficult questions and unnecessary worry for family caregivers and decision makers. Honoring Choices Florida – Florida’s advance care planning initiative is supported and coordinated by Community Hospice & Palliative Care. Peace of mind comes when you have a conversation about your goals, beliefs and experiences and make your wishes known in advance.
Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of understanding, reflecting on and discussing your experiences, values and beliefs in an effort to identify how you want to live if faced with a serious or life-limiting illness. It may include identifying the care you would want at the end of your life. It is important to choose someone to speak on your behalf if you are unable to make your own decisions, and take comfort in knowing that person will convey your wishes. You can also decide if you want to complete an ACP document, often referred to as an advance directive. Finally, you will want to communicate your wishes to your family, friends, clergy, other advisors, physicians and other health care professionals to help ensure that your wishes are honored. For more information, visit HonoringChoicesFL.com
Community Hospice & Palliative Care has partnered with area hospitals and community organizations to offer this nationally recognized advance care planning model to individuals in the communities we serve.
The ACP process begins with a conversation with family members and health providers about goals, values, beliefs and experiences in planning for future health care needs. Ideally, this conversation should occur when you are healthy. The result will be a well-informed plan that identifies your health care wishes in the event of a serious or life-limiting illness.
If you need assistance, we offer certified facilitators at no cost to help guide the ACP conversation with you and your family.
Our advance care planning document (advance directive) was developed and approved by area hospitals and is available for download free here or contact us for a mailed copy.
