Tomorrow is National Healthcare Decisions Day. The initiative is meant to “encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.”

Organizing a celebration in your community is a great way to gain public recognition and more important, showcase your commitment to ensuring older adults’ care and service preferences are met.

The initiative’s website lists many great outreach opportunities to help educate people about creating advance directives. The following are just a few ideas they list:

• First and foremost, lead by example…be sure you have thoughtfully considered and made your own healthcare decisions known.

• Next, make sure everyone in your organization is informed about NHDD (including staff, board of directors, volunteers and others) and ask for their involvement to promote NHDD in your community. (Suggestion: Have staff wear a sticker that says “Ask Me About Advance Directives!”  See sticker template located above in the Outreach Resources section.)

• Set up an exhibit about NHDD at your main entrance and offer information about advance care planning as people come by.

• Distribute NHDD promotional materials and advance care planning educational brochures at upcoming community events or health fairs.

• Give a presentation to community organizations (i.e. Rotary Club, senior centers, workplace settings, faith communities, libraries, patient or family support groups, neighborhood associations) and to the public promoting NHDD and offering advance care planning resources.

• Sponsor a community event or “town hall’ meeting about advance care planning. Big events are more likely to generate media coverage than small presentations and they offer an opportunity for more in-depth dialogue with your community.