Live Forum

Since September 2011, National Healthcare Decisions Day has hosted a live monthly discussion to raise awareness about the importance of advance care planning on Twitter with the hashtag #NHDD. Friday, March 16th at 10am PST will be the last #NHDD TweetChat before National Healthcare Decisions Day 2012 on April 16th and we hope you’ll consider joining the conversation. To view the transcripts and analytics from #NHDD TweetChats since September, please visit the #NHDD TweetChat archive.

What is a TweetChat?

A TweetChat is a planned discussion on Twitter. There is a set time and place people gather to discuss a topic or set of issues. Usually there is a moderator that guides the discussion and plans topics for the group to chat about.

Click here to join the TweetChat.

Why participate? 

• Every tweet helps increase the chance that someone will learn more about advance care planning
• NHDD participants are passionate about raising awareness about the importance of advance care planning, the TweetChat is a great way to meet others who share your passion
• For all the people in our country and around the world that have not yet taken time to document and discuss their healthcare wishes if at some point in their care, they were unable to make decisions for themselves. The taboo of discussing these wishes becomes lessened every time we talk about it (especially if we’re having conversations on a pubic platform)!

Have you joined the live forum on advance care planning? owl.li/9GF6S We hope you'll join the #NHDD conversation Friday 10a PST #hpm

— 5th Annual NHDD (@NHDD) March 16, 2012

Hearing A Call To Action

Below is a contribution from Michael J. Bernhagen, Co-Producer of Consider the Conversation: A Documentary on a Taboo Subject.

While we are thrilled about the recent award for Consider the Conversation: A Documentary on a Taboo Subject, the most important outcome of our work began unfolding one year ago, right here in Wisconsin.

In January of 2011, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Council on Health Care Ethics asked me to address Council members in our capitol city of Madison. The Council said it had significant interest in the topic of advance care planning, but I was immediately skeptical for two reasons. First, I had repeatedly encountered a general attitude of “polite indifference” toward end-of-life issues when calling on doctors in the course of my hospice work. And, second, I privately feared the Council’s agenda revolved more around pursuing legislative mandates than establishing “best practice” patterns for discovering, documenting and honoring the wishes of chronically and terminally ill people.

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Story Time

Last week, I convened our monthly State Liaisons call.  We had a long discussion about what works best for NHDD activities.  The group agreed that stories are among the most powerful tools to spur people to engage in advance care planning.  Stories can take all sorts of shapes and sizes.  They can be happy, sad, frustrating, and rewarding.  No matter what, telling stories is likely to engage people and help them understand the benefits of advance care planning.

People repeatedly ask me how and why I founded NHDD.  Of course, I respond with my story.  My story is that I’m lucky.  I haven’t really had to deal with a complex healthcare decision-making situation in my immediate family, although we’ve been sharing our wishes for decades.  Yet, in serving on several hospital ethics committees, I’ve repeatedly seen the agony that comes as families try to make decision on behalf a loved one who never talked about his/her wishes (and, in most cases, was never asked).  I’ve been humbled, however, by countless stories from NHDD participants about how helpful NHDD has been to prevent some of those situations from happening.  Thus, stories lead to more stories.

 All of us have some story to tell about advance care planning.  Don’t be shy.  Making the topic personal makes it real.  Whether your NHDD event involves a crowd or an intimate group, please consider telling your own story (or even someone else’s).  You’ll be amazed how effective it is.  And, then, when you’ve got an NHDD success story to tell, share it with us and we can amplify it with this blog!

Open The Door

This is a contribution by Michael J. Bernhagen, Co-Producer of “Consider the Conversation:  A Documentary on a Taboo Subject.”

In the weeks leading up to the February 5th, 2011 premiere of our documentary film, Consider the Conversation, Terry Kaldhusdal, and I were scared. We were worried that, if given the opportunity, no one would show up to watch a movie created by a hospice professional and 4th grade teacher, let alone one that examines our struggle with communication and preparation at life’s end.

After all, the country just went through the whole “death panel” debate, right?

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Dear President Obama

Please, Mr. President, Recognize National Healthcare Decisions Day.

I have written another letter to the President, requesting an official proclamation regarding National Healthcare Decisions Day.  My fingers are crossed that this year, our 5th, will finally be the one that enjoys Presidential recognition.  And why shouldn’t it? 

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