National Health Care Decisions Day
Celebrated Annually on April 16
Founded in 2008 by Virginia-based healthcare lawyer Nathan Kottkamp, National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) “exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. NHDD is an initiative to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.”
The key goal of NHDD is to ‘demystify’ decision making for healthcare and make the topic of end-of-life planning approachable. NHDD is an inclusive process that focuses first on conversations and choosing a healthcare representative. The final step is completing advance directives that document the decisions made in conversations with loved ones and particularly the healthcare representative. NHDD emphasizes that healthcare decision making is more than creating living wills and advance directives. It’s an ongoing process that “should focus first on conversation and choosing an agent.”
The Conversation Project, an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, has been responsible for NHDD since 2016. To learn more about NHDD, visit theconversationproject.org/nhdd.
Quotes taken from theconversationproject.org/nhdd
Photos from 2020 NHDD activities
2022 NHDD Happenings
To celebrate National Healthcare Decisions Day, Honoring Choices Indiana – North Central is participating in several events throughout the community the week leading up to and following April 16. See the list below and join us at one of these informative events!
Join us at various St. Joe County Library branches for meet and greets and get information about advance care planning.
Monday, April 11
Main Branch: 304 S. Main St., South Bend
10am – 12pm
Tuesday, April 12
River Park Branch: 2022 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend
10am – 12pm
Tuesday, April 12
Western Ave. Branch: 611 Lombardy Ave., South Bend
2pm – 4pm
Free Lunch and Learn
Tuesday, April 19
Main Branch: 304 S. Main St., South Bend
11:30am – 1pm
Reservations required by 4/12/22 to YoungsS@cfhcare.org or 574.276.8557
Catch us on a segment of WSBT-TV’s HomeTown Living program!
Tuesday, April 12
9am – 10am
