Advance Care Planning – Community Health Council of Lebanon County

The Advance Care Planning Coalition of Aging Inspired helps community organizations, such as clubs and churches, provide FREE educational events about Advance Care Planning to groups throughout Lebanon County.

Too often we don’t talk about end-of-life issues until a crisis happens, when people are filled with emotion and decisions need to be made quickly. The end of life is a normal process. What role can you play to help have the conversation?

We invite you to learn more about Advance Care Planning and how to facilitate conversations in your own communities.

FREE Events Available to Your Organization

Our committee of committed volunteers can help you plan an event, market your event and provide materials.

The Gift of Conversation – Understanding the Need for Advance Care Planning: This program provides an overview of advance care planning, the legal documents needed to support an individual’s wishes and values, and how to discuss personal wishes for end-of-life care with family, loved ones or the important people in one’s life. A free resource packet will be provided to all participants.
The Gift of Conversation – Next Steps: In this presentation, a more detailed explanation is provided on advance care planning, the three legal documents needed to support life support decisions for end-of-life care, who to choose as a health care agent and how to discuss all of these issues with the important people in one’s life. Participants will have a plan of action at the end of the presentation. A free resource packet will be provided to all participants. Have your packet handy for this event if you have attended the first presentation.
What do I do Now? – Getting Started with Your Advance Care Plan: This session will explore what you need to have; how to prepare proper documents; who to invite to the conversation you want to have, and what exactly to say. This will be a very hands-on discussion session. Free Advance Care Planning packets, tools and resources will be shared with participants.
And After I Am Gone???: Hear from the Aging Inspired Advance Care Planning Coalition, a funeral home director and a local clergy about preparing in advance how to relieve the burden from the important people in your life in making decisions that you could make before you die. By putting you in control of how your life is celebrated, your wishes and values can be honored. Valuable planning resources are shared with the participants.
Death Cafés: Individuals who are interested in talking about issues surrounding life, death and dying can gather informally during these events. They have no agenda, no specific materials, and are completely designed to be an open exchange of ideas and experiences for about 2 hours. Tea and scones are served in England, where Death Cafés began, but we usually serve coffee and cake!
Movie Events – BEING MORTAL; CONSIDER THE CONVERSATION 1 & 2;
CAREGIVER: A LOVE STORY: Each of these movies prompts a different understanding of the issues of serious illness, preparing for the end of life, death and dying, and being a caregiver for those you love. The movies may be enhanced by a panel of professionals from advance care planning, palliative care, hospice care, and chaplaincy services, who share their experiences with patients and the important people in their patients’ lives.
The “HELLO” Game: The “HELLO” game is a 33-question structured conversation about what gives life meaning, how to be prepared for death and dying, and what matters most to you when you face the last months of your life.
POLST – EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW: POLST is a medical order document that is to be used only in the last 12-18 months of life. The session provides an overview of the Pennsylvania Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) document and the implications for care as a patient is transported from one setting to another. Out-of-Hospital DNR forms are discussed as well.
HOW DO I SPEAK FOR MY LOVED ONE WITH DEMENTIA?: This session explores the ways to identify dementia diseases, and how advance care planning discussions are so important before someone no longer has the capacity to make medical decisions or to identify health care agents. It also identifies who can speak for a loved one once they no longer have capacity, and what documents are available to help with health care decisions.
WHY WOULD I NEED A DEATH DOULA?: A death doula (sometimes also called an “end-of-life doula” or “death midwife”) is a trained non-medical professional who provides emotional, physical, and educational support for someone nearing death. In this presentation, hear from a certified Death Doula on how death doulas can be considered a mentor for the final chapter of life, and can be hired by the dying individual’s family for support.

Personal Assistance: In addition to our educational programs, the ACP Coalition, through trained facilitators at the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging, provides one-on-one conversations to help individuals develop their Advance Directives and name their Health Care Agent. Register by calling the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging at 717 273-9262.

This information is being provided for your consideration by the Aging Inspired Advance Care Planning Coalition under the auspices of the Community Health Council of Lebanon County in cooperation with the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging.

Members of the Coalition include Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Penn State Health, UPMC Central PA, WellSpan Health and various other health-related community organizations.

Additional Resources

Any Advance Directive document, whether a Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is legal and acceptable at any health care facility in Pennsylvania.

Documents obtained through an attorney, a health care provider, or the internet can be completed by any competent individual.

It must be signed, dated and have two witnesses to the signing of the document that are not the person’s Durable Power of Attorney(s) for Health Care, a member of their health care team, or an insurance or financial agent.

WellSpan Health

“Five Wishes^®” is the preferred document of WellSpan Health. It not only provides a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, but also addresses personal care wishes and after death wishes of the individual. It can be obtained at no cost by visiting www.wellspan.org/horizonplanning, and ordering through the form provided. Or it is also available from “Aging With Dignity^®” at www.agingwithdignity.org.

UPMC Pinnacle

UPMC PINNACLE has created their own Living Will document that is used for their patients.

It can be obtained through the UPMC Pinnacle website, or at any UPMC Pinnacle facility.