Compassion and Choices

Nov 5 - Dr. Skip Pollock introduced our chapter to Compassion and Choices, a national, non-profit organization that focuses on providing resources for end-of-life decisions.  Compassion and Choices Arizona, the state-wide chapter, is focusing on education.  Their goal is to provide relevant information to patients, their families, and the public, in general, about the choices, options and rights that they have regarding their own treatment decisions.  One focus Skip talked about was having a written Advance Directive that makes one’s own preferences very clear.  Without Advance Directives, family members are often left to make critical decisions for a loved one without knowing for sure what they really want – and that can be agonizing. Skip also noted that Compassion and Choices has a toll-free number for any type of end-of-life consultation, which is free for anyone: 800-247-7421.    The goal of Compassion and Choices is to empower people to know they have options and can make informed decisions that reflect their own values.  This is good information to have.  Thanks, Skip.