OOA Observes Living Wills and Advance Directives Week Oct. 13-19

The Ohio Osteopathic Association (OOA) along with other state and community organizations, is participating in an effort to highlight the importance of advance health care decision-making—an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of Oct. 13-19 as Ohio Living Wills and Advance Directives Week.

 In observance, OOA is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and health care providers, and execute written advance directives (health care power of attorney and living will) in accordance with Ohio state laws.  These resources can be accessed on the OOA Website by clicking on “Patient Education”  under “For the Public.” Once on the "Patient Eduction" page, scroll down to "Advance Directives and End of Life Planning."

 “It is our hope that Living Wills and Advance Directives Week will prompt our patients, employees and community to have thoughtful conversations about their health care decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said OOA President Robert L. Hunter, DO. “Fewer families and health care providers will have to struggle with making difficult health care decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and health care providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance health care planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”