April 16 is National Health Care Decision Making Day
It’s something most of us would prefer not to think about. We seem to plan so many aspects of our lives, yet when it comes to health care decision making and end-of-life decisions, we would rather avoid the issue. Few people take a proactive approach to their medical decision-making -- perhaps because getting sick is a fear for many of us, and ignoring such a thought makes it feel less likely to happen. Whatever the reason, as a medical social worker, I find that more patients don’t have an Advanced Directive than do.