Maybe you already know what an “advance care directive” is, but you’ve been putting it off because it’s a scary topic. Or maybe you’ve heard the term, but you aren’t quite sure what it is. If so, an upcoming workshop at Grace Cottage can help.
On Thursday, Feb. 11, Grace Cottage is offering “It’s Really About Love,” an informational session on Advance Care Directives in collaboration with Taking Steps Brattleboro, a project of Brattleboro Area Hospice.
Taking Steps Brattleboro has trained volunteers to support and guide people through the process of advance care planning. This is a free service to all members of the community.
Joanna Rueter, MSW, Coordinator of Taking Steps Brattleboro, will lead the discussion, which will include the following topics:
• Why every adult needs an advance care directive
• How to fill out an advance care directive
• The key decisions that need to be made
• Why this is really about love, and
• Any other questions that come up
Rueter is a Respecting Choices® Advance Care Planning certified Facilitator and Instructor as well as a trained Hospice Volunteer. She has personally experienced the importance of this paperwork as a family member.
If a serious illness or accident leaves someone unable to communicate, an advance directive tells loved ones and healthcare providers what that person would want. During a health emergency, decisions can be so much easier when families have discussed and mapped out their wishes ahead of time. Thus, an advance directive is a gift for loved ones because it protects them from the heart-rending burden of having to second-guess a loved one’s wishes.
This event is free and open to the public. Adults of all ages are invited. The workshop will be held from 9:45 a.m. to noon on Feb. 11 in the Grace Cottage Community Wellness Center’s Holt Conference room, 133 Grafton Road (Route 35), Townshend. To sign up for this workshop, call 802-365-3649.
