4/16 Is Healthcare Decisions Day

Engage in the Conversation! Join the San Francisco Palliative Care Work Group on April 16 for a Kickoff Community Event and Press Conference at On Lok 30th Street Senior Center to mark National Healthcare Decisions Day and help raise awareness about the importance of planning for the future.

Join us at the On Lok 30th Street Senior Center on April 16 from 10 am - 11 am.

Learn more and register by visiting the San Francisco Palliative Care Workgroup website and RSVPing today. Please note that RSVPs are not required. We encourage everyone to join us!

April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day.

Now that 2025 is underway, it’s a perfect time to consider and ensure we are as prepared as possible when planning for any care and considering our healthcare wishes. 

Whether that’s emergency preparedness when something happens to change your current situation or planning as an act of love and respect, let’s take these next two months to think about what preparedness means to us and who we want to involve in that process. 

How do you plan ahead?

1. Think about what matters most to you

Think about your hopes and goals in life. Think about the things you like to do or experience that give you joy and meaning in your life. You may want to think about what fears or worries you have about the future. It's okay not to know exactly what matters most to you; it could change over time.

2. Tell someone

How much do the people who matter to you know what matters most? Talk to your family and friends about your wishes. Talk to your health care team. Conversations help clarify what you think and how you feel.

3. Choose a surrogate decision maker (A surrogate is someone who could make decisions for you if you were unable to do so)

Think about the person you would like to be your decision-maker. A good decision-maker is someone you can trust to make the decisions you ask them to make and who will be able and willing to speak up and voice your thoughts and feelings to the healthcare team.

4. Complete an Advance Health Care Directive

There are several Advance Health Care Directive forms that are valid in California. One example is PREPARE For Your Care -an online step-by-step program to complete an advanced health care directive.

Resources:

The Conversation Project

Conversation Guide