Sharing Your Wishes is a local coalition of organizations and individuals that encourage and assist individuals over 18 years old to plan their health care wishes in advance in the event that they experience an illness or condition that prevents them from making or communicating their wishes. Planning in advance is the best way to ensure their choices are known, understood, and honored.
One of The Health Planning Council’s goals is to educate about advance care planning and assist Tompkins County residents through the Sharing Your Wishes initiative. Through this initiative, the Health Planning Council collaborates with local healthcare organizations to empower residents to create a health care plan and communicate these wishes to family, friends, and advisers. In order to accomplish this, we provide Sharing Your Wishes advance care planning materials free of charge to individuals and organizations in Tompkins County.
- Sharing Your Wishes Planning Guide – provides a simple, four-step approach to planning and sharing health care decisions. Includes a health care proxy form in the guide.
- Sharing Your Wishes Information Booklets – This longer booklet provides detail for those who wish to explore advance directives and understand health choices in greater depth.
- Keeping the Language Straight – Brief definitions of terms commonly encountered when planning in advance for health care.
- Starting the Conversation – Conversation starters for talking with family and friends about planning in advance.
- Health Care Proxy Form – to appoint a health care agent and provide instructions to the agent.
For your reference, the MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form is completed by your physician. It includes medical orders and patient preferences regarding specific life sustaining measures. Individuals who have advanced progressive chronic illness, are terminally ill, or are interested in further defining their care wishes can discuss MOLST with their physician or other health care providers.
The development and distribution of Sharing Your Wishes materials to local coalitions was provided by the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.