Workshop planned on health care directives

By WARREN WOLFE

It can happen to anyone at any age—an accident, illness or mental change that leaves you needing intensive medical care but unable to communicate with the doctors.

Who would speak for you if you became unable to speak for yourself? One answer is an Honoring Choices Minnesota health care directive.

The document allows people to choose someone they know and trust to be their medical-care advocate when they are unable to act, and to put in writing things they would want their doctors and families to know about the kind of care they would want in certain medical situations.

On Sat., Apr. 16, a panel of experts will share how to make this work for you. They include Thaddeus Pope, director of the Health Law Institute at Mitchell Hamline School of Law; Dr. Ryan Greiner, a hospitalist at North Memorial Medical Center, and Greg Peterson, Roseville Fire Department battalion chief, and emergency manager.

The event will be held from 9-11am at Centennial United Methodist Church in Roseville, 1524 W. Co. Rd. C2, just east of Snelling Ave. The event is free and open to anyone.

The panel discussions will be followed by small-group discussions led by trained advance care planning facilitators. They can help individuals translate their wishes into a legal health care directive. Participants will receive copies of the Honoring Choices Minnesota health care directive, both the long form and short form, and the Roseville Vial of Life. Information about additional assistance also will be available.

To ensure that enough facilitators are on hand, organizers ask interested people to register online at http://itstimetotalk-advancecareplanning.eventbrite.com, by e-mail at parishnurse@centennialumc.org or by phone at 651-633-7644 x21.

The event, to be held on National Healthcare Decisions Day, is being organized by Roseville’s Community Health Awareness Team (CHAT), City of Roseville, Honoring Choices Minnesota, and Centennial United Methodist Church.

Honoring Choices Minnesota is a statewide campaign of doctors, hospitals, clinics, health insurers and others to help people complete health care directives.

Warren Wolfe is a retired reporter who covered aging and health care policy issues for the Star Tribune. He lives in Roseville and is active in the Roseville Alzheimer’s and Dementia Community Action Team.