Advance Care Planning

Advance Care Planning

Call JFS for more information at (651) 698-0767.

Advance care planning is making decisions about the healthcare you would want to receive if you happen to become unable to speak for yourself. These are your decisions to make, regardless of what you choose for your care and the decisions are based on your personal values, preferences and discussions with your loved ones.

Advance care planning includes:

  • Getting information on the types of life-sustaining treatments that are available.
  • Deciding what types of treatment you would or would not want should you be unable to speak for yourself.
  • Sharing your personal values with your loved ones.
  • Completing advance directives to put into writing what types of treatment you would or would not want, a living will, and who you chose to speak for you, health care power of attorney.

Advance care planning can help alleviate unnecessary suffering, improve quality of life and provide better understanding of the decision-making challenges facing the individual and their caregivers. An advance care plan can be used at any stage of life.

The Advanced Care Planning services available at JFS include working with one of our professionals who have expertise and extensive training. They have also provided compassion and comfort at the bedside of many, many people at the end of their life.

They will listen to you. They will show respect and dignity to your culture and its practices. They will guide you through the completion of all the necessary documents to ensure your wishes are respected and followed. They will work with and counsel your family to the degree you choose.

Rabbi Lynn Liberman, BBC, Bonnie Jaffe, RN, and Tara Burns, MA, LPCC are trained as certified Honoring Choices facilitators, the most common advance care planning tool used in Minnesota. They are available to meet with individuals and families to simply facilitate conversations and/or help individuals complete an Honoring Choices document or any advanced care planning document. The cost is $95; however, JFS offers a sliding fee scale based on income. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.