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Dear Physicians,
Here's 2 good reasons to invest a little of your valuable time with your elderly patients in an effort to get them to document their Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will.
1) Beginning on Jan. 1, 2016, for the first time, doctors will be paid by Medicare to counsel patients about their options for end of life care.
2) If you introduce the issue at an office visit, my colleagues and I can get your patient to complete the legal paperwork if you refer them to us for one afternoon or evening workshop.
At the UNCA College for seniors (now called O.L.L.I.), one of my retirement activities is to coordinate an Advance Care Planning Workshop every 4 months. Click here to learn all about these free 2-hr sessions, open to any adult.
So far we have had 11 workshops, attended by over 600 adults, nearly half of whom completed the NC Short form (used by Mission Hospital, includes Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney). We notarize the form for them before they leave the workshop.
All you'd have to do after introducing Advance Care Planning to a patient is go to the OLLI website and find out the date for the next workshop, advise the patient how to prepare, and write the patient an Rx slip to be at OLLI on that particular date. We'll take it from there.
I hope we can help you. And....thanks for helping us by referring some patients.
Sincerely,
David Mouw MD PhD, WCMS Emeritus Member
MAHEC Family Practice Faculty 1997-2007
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