ElderWood encourages advance health care decision making

AMHERST, N.Y. – ElderWood Senior Care, along with other national, state and community organizations, is leading a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance health care decision making – an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16, 2008 as National Healthcare Decisions Day.

ElderWood Senior Care will provide information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with their family, friends and health care providers, and execute written advance directives including a health care proxy and a living will in accordance with New York State laws. These resources are available free for download at www.elderwood.com and at the reception desks at all ElderWood Senior Care locations.

On Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m., ElderWood Health Care at Crestwood, 2600 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Niagara Falls, will hold an informational seminar on advance health care planning. Each attendee will receive a packet of information that includes a health care proxy and a living will. Presenter Chaplain Deborah Tyler will be available after the seminar to answer individual questions. The seminar is free and open to the public. RSVP by Monday, April 14 to ElderWood Health Care at Crestwood, 716-215-8000.

“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their health care decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Michael Murphy, ElderWood executive director of skilled nursing operations. “Fewer families and health care providers will have to struggle with making difficult decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient. Health care providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance health care planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”

ElderWood Senior Care provides skilled nursing, subacute care, rehabilitation, assisted living, independent living, memory care, cardiovascular transitional care and respiratory care to more than 3,500 people each year at 17 locations in western and central New York. Nine ElderWood skilled nursing facilities have earned the Step I Quality Award from the American Health Care Association, the most prestigious honor in long-term care. Four have earned the Step II Award. For more information, visit www.elderwood.com.