California Health Care Decisions Week

This week, October 28 to November 3, is California Health Care Decisions Week, during which Californians should think about and plan for the types of treatment they would want if they become seriously ill. 



A poll released earlier this year from the California Health Care Foundation found that more than half of Californians said they have not talked with a loved one about the kind of care they want at the end of life. Additionally, nearly 8 in 10 Californians said that if they were seriously ill, they would want to speak with their doctor about end-of-life care, but fewer than 1 in 10 report having had a conversation, including just 13% of those age 65 or older. California Health Care Decisions Week is a great time to begin these conversations and there are many free resources to help. 



For example, the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California is working with The Conversation Project, a recently launched public engagement campaign dedicated to having every person’s end-of-life wishes expressed and respected.  The aim is to support conversations about end-of-life wishes.  To support this effort, The Conversation Project offers a “Conversation Starter Kit” helping families bring this topic into the home and out of the hospital, and asks people to submit their personal stories.