Advance Care Planning-An important home health service you shouldn’t overlook

January 14, 2021

FREE Zoom Workshops to help you ‘FILL OUT YOUR FORMS’, hosted by Pemi-Baker Community Health, in Plymouth, NH.

Have you wondered how to talk to your loved ones about what medical care you would or wouldn’t want in a medical crisis? Does your health care provider want you to have these conversations and fill out your end of life wishes? Would your wishes change if it was COVID-19 related? Pemi-Baker Community Health can help with all your advance care planning needs.

Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of understanding, reflecting on and discussing your experiences, values and beliefs in an effort to identify how you want to live if faced with a serious or life-limiting illness. It may include identifying the care you would want at the end of your life or the care you would want if you were too injured or ill to speak.

Download a Conversation Starter Guide

It is also important to choose someone to speak on your behalf if you are unable to make your own decisions, and take comfort in knowing that person will convey your wishes. This person is called a Health Care Proxy, in NH it is termed Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. It could be your partner, a sibling or a close friend.

Download a Guide to Choosing a Health Care Proxy/Durable Power of Attorney

Once you decide what care you want and who to help voice your opinions, you will be ready to complete an ACP document, often referred to as an advance directive. This is the legal form from your state that puts your wishes on paper and legalizes them with witness signatures. When this form is complete, you will want to give it to and communicate your wishes to your family, friends, clergy, other advisors, physicians and other health care professionals to help ensure that your wishes are honored.

Download the New Hampshire Advance Directive

Take time to plan ahead now so future healthcare challenges don’t create difficult questions and unnecessary worry for family caregivers and decision makers. Pemi-Baker Community Health offers free monthly Zoom workshops to help you ‘FILL OUT YOUR FORMS’. Download the advance directive form from our website, poor a cup of coffee and join us for a group Zoom meeting to walk you through the form and answer any questions you might have.

Couple attending zoom workshop — Couple filling out advance directive forms with help from zoom workshop

Pemi-Baker’s Social Workers will be neutral guides helping you reflect on and identify the values, beliefs and goals that shape the way you make health care decisions. As experienced facilitators, they will explain how important sharing this information is to others so that decisions can be made for you if you ever cannot speak for yourself.

~written by Anna Swanson

National Healthcare Decision Day. Have You Signed Your Forms Yet?

April 16, 2020

COVID-19 crisis puts thoughts of health care decisions in different light.

Pemi-Baker Community Health can help!

National Healthcare Decisions Day has been held on April 16 for twelve years. Yet, April 16, 2020 is a very different time than any of those previous years. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way Americans are living – and the focus on advance care planning has taken on a profound meaning for many people.

Pemi-Baker Community Health and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization want to acknowledge NHDD by stressing the importance of talking with your loved ones about your health care wishes and documenting those wishes by completing an advance directive. In fact, given the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across the country, completing your advance directive – or reviewing and updating your care preferences if you have an advance directive – could be timely.

“Given the uncertainty that we find ourselves coping with during the COVID-19 public health crisis, taking time to talk about the care you would or would not want with your loved ones is a worthwhile activity for all of us to undertake,” said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. “Far too many Americans put off talking about their health care wishes and then they find themselves in a medical crisis and it may be too late to ensure that you get the care you want.”

Advance care planning includes completing an advance directive (also known as a living will) and appointing a healthcare power of attorney (someone to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to speak for yourself). Then, most importantly, sharing your decisions with your family and loved ones.

Visit the Pemi-Baker Community Health website www.pbhha.org to download these free resources. Lisa Fortson, MSW, Pemi-Baker’s Hospice and Palliative Care Supervisor, stated that, “Pemi-Baker’s Social Work department is available for questions about the forms by calling 603-536-2232. It’s also important to remember that having these thoughtful discussions with your family and documenting your wishes can be a gift to your loved ones should you become critically ill and unable to speak for yourself. Your priorities will be clear to them.”

~ by Anna Swanson

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Your courage during Covid-19 does not go unnoticed

Hello. We just wanted to take a moment and let you know how much we truly appreciate all that you do for us in these trying times. You're commitment to the health of our community is a special thing, and we know that you are working under stressful conditions due to the Covid 19 crisis. We realize that in order for you to treat those who may be ill, you are putting you're own lives and even you're own families lives in danger, and that is truly a courageous and honorable thing to do. We want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for all that you do!

Bryan and Renee C., and our mom Joan

You give of yourselves day & night without end!

To the Pemi-Baker Hospice Team--Words really can't express my feelings-

Your help during one of the most difficult times of my life is SO appreciated. I'm so grateful that because of you, Doug was able to get his wish not to spend the last of his days in a hospital, but at home with those of us who loved him.

And to be constantly reassured that if I needed anything you would be there-oh my gosh-ANYTIME! Well, you people need to know how much you are appreciated. You give of yourselves day & night without end! God Bless you and thank you!

Pam O.

“I’m so happy that I found PBCH!”

I live in Meredith and wanted to exercise in a pool. The aquatic classes here at Pemi-Baker are fantastic. I am a member of the 7 am class and we meet three times a week for an amazing class run by Liz. She changes it up every time and works us with a variety of cardio, strength, flexibility, balance and stretching. The aquatic program here offers a variety of classes throughout the day; so very easy to fit it into your routine. I highly recommend that you check it out. Everyone is very welcoming and we have a lot of fun getting our exercise in.

L. Rice