“It’s Always Too Early Until It’s Too Late” | How to Have Meaningful Conversations About Advance Care Directives

Wow! What a powerful quote from Carla Sutter, Director, Advance Directives Registry for Contexture. Ms. Sutter holds her master’s degree in social work and has spent her 30-year career working with organizations who are dedicated to helping clients and families care for themselves and others whose needs are changing due to age or illness. Ms. Sutter is specialized in advance care planning conversations and advance directives.

Ms. Sutter’s previous work as a hospice social worker, counseling patients and families at end-of-life, has been a guiding point for her work and a reminder of who is at the core of any program on advance care planning and end of life decision making in which she is involved. Additionally, the research and writing of her master’s thesis entitled “Developing ethnic competence in social work practice” has directed the way she approaches a community centered program.

Ms. Sutter is the author of Where Do We Begin: A Guide to Elder Caregiving.

In this episode of Home Health Revealed, Michael Greenlee and Hannah Vale sit down with Carla to discuss how to have those meaningful conversations about end of life directives. 

What keeps people from having these important conversations? 

How can home health and hospice professionals be prepared to talk about these plans? 

How can you write your own end of life directive? 

How will you know that your wishes will be honored? 

Whether it’s through a state organization, place of faith or other resource, Carla encourages us to create a plan for the end of life earlier than later. 

Some additional resources: 

Arizona Resources on Advance Care Planning

You can access advance directives forms at no cost in several locations.

· Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry | azhdr.org

· Arizona Attorney General Life Care Planning (Arizona)| azag.gov/seniors/life-care-planning

· Five Wishes | fivewishes.org 

· PREPARE | prepareforyourcare.org

Many resources provide tools to start a conversation about advance care planning with loved ones and help guide your own decision-making.

· Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry | azhdr.org

· Arizona End of Life Care Partnership | azendoflifecare.org

· The Conversation Project | theconversationproject.org

· PREPARE | prepareforyourcare.org

· SAGE – LGBT Elders Resources | sageusa.org

· Go Wish Game | gowish.org

· Death Over Dinner | deathoverdinner.org

· Veterans Advance Care Planning | caregiver.va.gov

For more information, visit AZHDR.org.

Home Health Revealed is hosted by HealthRev Partners.