Penney Dupee joined Marshfield Sunrise to discuss why you should prepare for the unexpected with an advance directive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “advance care planning is increasingly being viewed as a public health issue, given its potential to prevent unnecessary suffering and support an individual’s health care decisions and preferences.” Advance care planning is a service the Health System offers that allows patients and families to work with an expert facilitator to put a plan in place for future medical decisions and preferences.
Imagine you were in a serious car accident and were left unable to speak for yourself. Who would speak for you? Who would make medical decisions about your care? If your immediate answer is a family member, you should know that in some states, like Wisconsin, you need legal paperwork to designate even a family member to make health care decisions for you. Check out Penney's slide deck here.