Advance Care Planning

The Importance of Advance Care Planning

While advance care planning is useful for anyone, it’s particularly important for those looking for the best end-of-life care experience and anyone considering hospice. At VNA, we understand this process may seem daunting, which is why we’ve made it as seamless as possible with the help of our Advance Care Planning team.

To learn more about Five Wishes® or to schedule a presentation about advance care planning for your group or community, please contact us.

You meet with a nurse practitioner and licensed clinical social worker in your home, where they will evaluate your health and educate you on available services and treatment options. This information session includes supportive literature and tools to empower informed decision making and self-advocacy after the visit.

This serves to invite open conversation and consideration of what are often deemed uncomfortable topics. If appropriate this provides the opportunity to receive accurate education about hospice philosophy and services, to dispel myths, and breakdown barriers to what is the only service that can support the needs at end of life. 

Advance care planning not only provides the opportunity for choice and active participation in a patient’s plan of care, but it is a way of planning proactively rather than reactively -– before a health crisis occurs. Advance Care Planning is an important step for any patient dealing with a disease or ailment to identify their health care goals

The Advance Care Planning team works with VNA patients to discuss goals of care and ensure that each patient understands all the health care options that are available to them. In addition to identifying goals of care, they will ensure that patients have an advance directive in place, which outlines what type of care a patient would like to receive in the event he or she is unable to speak for themself. 

To find out more about Advance Care Planning, download our Individualized Advance Care Plan to get the conversation started. You can also contact us or call our office and ask to speak with one of our Advance Care Planning specialists.

Five Wishes® is an easy-to-use legal-document template written in everyday language that helps you plan, document and communicate how you want to be cared for in the event you become seriously ill. It allows your family, and caregivers, to know exactly what you want, so they don’t have to guess. It helps you express your desires in personal, spiritual, medical and legal matters and meets the legal requirements for an advance directive in 42 states, including Florida.

Download your copy of Five Wishes®

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