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have you ever had to care for a loved one during
a long illness or at the end of their life
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you might have had to make difficult decisions
about their care even when you were not sure what
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they would want for themselves these situations
can be especially stressful and that's why we
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urge our members to consider advance care planning
advanced care planning is a way for you to record
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your wishes for your care in the event you become
unable to make decisions for yourself a serious
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life-threatening illness could leave you unable
to communicate or make healthcare decisions but if
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you map out the types of care you want and don't
want in advance before you get sick then your
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doctors and family have a guide to follow start by
talking with your doctor and learning about your
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options write a list of questions to ask because
these talks will help you make thoughtful choices
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you don't have to have all the answers at first
next talk with your family and friends think about
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who you want to make healthcare decisions for you
when you're unable to the types of treatment you
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may or may not want and how comfortable you want
to be when it comes to pain management then create
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advanced directives these are written instructions
a living will that outlines your treatment choices
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and a power of attorney that identifies who
will make decisions for you when you cannot
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share your advance directives with your doctors
trusted family and friends and your health plan
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make sure to review them every year because
your wishes could change although you're not
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required to have advanced directives it's
important that you consider creating them
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even if you're in good health and advanced
care planning is not just for older adults
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people of all ages should take planning steps long
before they ever think they need to that's the
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only way to truly be prepared many times during
a crisis family members have a difficult time
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making decisions advance directives help your
family know what you want during a critical time
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taking the burden of tough decisions often your
advanced directives represent you and your wishes
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find more information about advanced care planning
as well as helpful resources to get started on
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our website peopleshealth.com slash advanced care
planning people's health your medicare health team
