PO Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

For Release:
April 16, 2018

Shereef Elnahal
Commissioner

For Further Information Contact:
Office of Communications
(609) 984-7160

Department of Health Recognizes National Healthcare Decisions Day:

It Always Seems Too Early Until It’s Too Late

In recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day, the New Jersey Department of Health encourages residents to contemplate their healthcare preferences and plan ahead for end-of-life care decisions.

 

National Healthcare Decisions Day is now celebrated all week long, from April 16 to 22. The national theme for 2018 is "It Always Seems Too Early, Until It’s Too Late."

“Far too often, patient preferences for end-of-life are never documented and are only discussed during a health crisis,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “Advance care planning is the best way to make their end-of-life preferences known to ensure an individual’s wishes can be fulfilled.”

The Department’s palliative and end-of-life care website provides residents with forms, toolkits and guidance to help guide residents in talking about and planning end-of-life care.

Individuals should consider what type of care and treatment they would prefer near the end-of-life. Palliative care focuses on improving life and providing comfort to people of all ages with serious and chronic as well as life-threatening illnesses. Hospice programs provide medical services, emotional support and spiritual resources for those with terminal illness. Hospice also offers support to family members as they face the challenge of caring for a loved one with a terminal illness.

In March, Dr. Elnahal toured one of New Jersey’s hospice providers—Holy Name’s Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River.  During a tour of the stand-alone hospice facility, the Commissioner saw the emphasis that was placed on making sure that patients who are near the end-of-life continue to live in a way that makes them most comfortable.  Villa Marie Claire works to ensure patients feel at home, like having communal settings where they can dine with family and friends, allowing them to keep pets with them, and having rooms available for loved ones to stay the night. This setting allows patients to receive the palliative and hospice care they need, while still experiencing the joys of everyday life.

The Department’s website also highlights the Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form, which empowers residents to work with their healthcare provider to document preferences for medical care at the end of life. POLST forms, which are targeted to those with a terminal illness, are different from advance directives .

In addition, the Department houses the New Jersey Advisory Council on End of Life Care, which will soon release its recommendations on how to improve end of life care in New Jersey.

“The hard work being done by the New Jersey Advisory Council on End of Life Care will help to ensure that we are taking the right steps in addressing end of life care services and implementing the best policies,” Elnahal said. “I look forward to reviewing their forthcoming recommendations.”

 

The Department seeks to empower New Jerseyans to take charge of medical decisions at the end-of-life. Individual wishes vary dramatically on such personal matters.  Advance planning and documentation allow for implementation of patient preferences. Some people would prefer to have every medical treatment taken to prolong their life, while others may not want to have their life sustained with medical support such as the use of a ventilator or feeding tube.

 

Please visit www.nhdd.org for more information on National Healthcare Decisions Day.

 

Follow the New Jersey Department of Health on Twitter @njdeptofhealth, Facebook /njdeptofhealth, Instagram @njdeptofhealth and Snapchat @njdoh.

Last Reviewed: 4/16/2018