Seminar Set on Health Care Proxy

By NIAGARA BUREAU

The importance of giving family members the authority to make health care decisions if a person becomes incapacitated will be the subject of a seminar at 3 p.m. April 30 in the Health Association of Niagara County, 1302 Main St.

The Council on Aging and the Coalition for Health Care Decision Making are offering free consultations with trained advance-care planning facilitators to help people appoint someone they trust to make health care decisions when they can no longer speak for themselves.

People are urged to decide the care they want to receive when they become dependent on others, select a person to speak on their behalf and put their choices in writing on a state health care proxy form.

In New York State, family members do not have the authority to make such decisions for people who don’t have a health care proxy or a health care directive in place.

Additional information on advance care planning organizations in Niagara and Erie counties is available on the Web site at sharingyourwishes.org.

e-mail: niagaranews@buffnews.com

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