Although the legal mechanisms for appointing a health care agent to act on behalf of a principal have been enacted nationwide, strong barriers persist to their effective use. Outstanding is the serious lack of knowledge of the role of the health care agent. To be effective, this learning process must be initiated well in advance of need. The purpose of this project is to insure and protect citizens’ controlling interest and participation in making end-of-life decisions reflecting their concerns, wishes and values. This poster presentation describes the project, which: convened three focus groups; produced a video; developed a curriculum and related training materials for a facilitator training program; recruited and trained twelve volunteers to lead twenty community education forums in New York City and environs. Approximately 400 citizens from diverse communities, in 7 New York Counties, are now prepared as prospective principals and agents. As principals, they are now better able to choose and instruct an agent; and as agents they can better protect and carry out their principal’s wishes as members of the health care team. The project goals are to: foster and support a community climate in which citizens can be empowered to appoint health care agents; demonstrate how to use existing legal mechanisms to appoint an agent; alert prospective agents and principals to their independent responsibilities as members of an interactive health care agency dyad; give participants in Facilitator Training and Community Forums a deeper understanding of the benefits of interaction and effective collaboration.
Learning Objectives: As principals (individuals appointing a health care agent), citizens are now better able to choose and instruct an agent as to their end-of-life medical decisions; and as agents (appointed by the principal), they can better protect and carry out their principal's wishes as members of the health care team. The purpose of this project is to insure and protect citizens' controlling interest and participation in making end-of-life decisions reflecting their concerns. The project goals are to foster and support a community climate in which citizens can be empowered to appoint health care agents; demonstrate how to use existing legal mechanisms to appoint an agent; and alert prospective agents and principals to their independent responsibilities as members of an interactive health care agency dyad, with a deeper understanding of the benefits of interaction and effective collaboration.
Keywords: End-of-Life Care, Community Education
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: New York Citizens' Committee on Health Care Decisions, Inc.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.