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Local Voices

Hospice of the Valley Leads "Let's Start the Conversation Together" During National Healthcare Decisions Day -- April 16

And engages the community through a series of advance care planning workshops

SAN JOSE, Calif. – April 16, 2014 – In honor of National Healthcare Decisions Day – April 16, Hospice of the Valley of Northern California, along with a number of local community leaders, organizations and healthcare providers, led the effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare planning and decision-making at a “Let’s Start the Conversation Together” kick-off event.

Hospice of the Valley conducted a community survey and convened interested community organizations, leaders and service providers throughout Santa Clara County that included representatives from Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services, as well as Adult Protective Services and Social Services Agency; Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Hospice and Palliative Care; Yu-Ai Kai, Japanese American Community Senior Service; Asian Americans for Community Involvement; Coda Alliance; Jewish Family and Children’s Services and Seniors at Home, division of Jewish Family and Children’s Services; Royal Ambulance; Pallium India-USA; The Health Trust, Alzheimer’s Association, Cancer Prevention Institute of California; United Way Silicon Valley; On Lok Lifeways; New Directions, a program of Peninsula Healthcare Connection; Cloverleaf Care; Polyphony Branding; Palliative Care Center Silicon Valley and Hospice of the Valley Professional Advisory Board member, Kathleen Fahey, RN, ONS, ACHPN to help raise awareness about the importance of advance care planning on April 16—and throughout the year. To help realize this goal, Hospice of the Valley hosted “Let’s Start the Conversation Together” to inspire, educate and empower the public, community leaders and service providers about the importance of advance care planning on this special day.

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Organizations shared advance care planning best practices, as well as learned what Hospice of the Valley has been doing to start the conversation through their Community Life Planning for Your Future programs. Survey results from the community’s collective efforts and needs in advance care planning were also shared and discussed.

“As a result of “Let’s Start the Conversation Together” on National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Sally Adelus, president and chief executive officer of Hospice of the Valley and Palliative Care Center Silicon Valley. “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”

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To view photos of Hospice of the Valley’s National Healthcare Decisions Day, visit hospicevalley.smugmug.com.

To engage and empower the public and community service providers and their respective constituents, Hospice of the Valley is hosting its Community Life Planning for Your Future: Advance Care Planning Workshop, featuring Karen Storey, a certified master trainer for Respecting Choices, on Thursday, April 24 and Monday, May 19 from 1:00-300 pm or 6:00-8:00pm; Thursday, June 12 from 2:00-4:00 pm or 6:00-8:00 pm at Hospice of the Valley, 4850 Union Avenue, San Jose 95124.

Workshops are free. Donations to Hospice of the Valley are gratefully accepted.

To RSVP, visit hospicevalley.org/communitylife and for questions, contact Jeanne Wun at 1.408.559.5600 x5423 or jwun@hospicevalley.org.

About Hospice of the Valley

Hospice of the Valley is a nonprofit organization in Silicon Valley that provides serious illness and end-of-life care programs and services, including palliative and hospice care, grief counseling for adults, children and families, and emotional support, education and practical assistance. The organization also provides individual counseling and loss-specific support groups to anyone who has experienced a loss. Established in July 2013, the Palliative Care Center Silicon Valley, the first independent, community-based, licensed outpatient center of its kind in California for seriously ill patients and their families, is a division of Hospice of the Valley. Hospice of the Valley also provides a community resource website for caregivers and families at seriousillness.org/santaclaracounty. Serving Santa Clara County since 1979, Hospice of the Valley honors all cultures, beliefs, values and traditions and is committed to serving its diverse community and providing equitable access to care for all regardless of financial ability. For more information, call 408.559.5600 or visit hospicevalley.org.

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Media Contact:

Jeanne Wun

Community Engagement

Hospice of the Valley

jwun@hospicevalley.org

1.408.489.6787

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