Backup Documents 04/10/2012 Item # 4DPROCLAMATION 4 0
WHEREAS, National Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for
healthcare decisions related to end of life care and encourage advance directives to communicate
important healthcare decisions when patients are unable to speak for themselves, and
WHEREAS, Chapter 765 of the Florida Statute provides the specifics of our advance directives law and offers a
model form for patient use, and,
WHEREAS, it is estimated that only approximately 20 percent of Floridians and less than 50 percent of terminally
and severely ill patients have an advance directive; and,
WHEREAS, it is likely that a significant reason for these /ow percentages is due to both a lack of know /edge and
considerable confusion in the public about advance directives; and
WHEREAS, easy -to- understand advance directives, such as the document Five Wishes distributed by the non-
profit organization Aging with Dignity, are desirable because they enable completion and foster
important family discussions; and,
WHEREAS, Five Wishes meets the legal reguirements of Florida and is available in 26 languages (including Braille),
citizens of our ethnic and culturally diverse state and area can state their wishes about comfort,
dignity and the persona /, family and spiritual issues that Floridians attest matter most, and
WHEREAS, a principal goal of this day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted - living facilities,
continued care retirement communities and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide
clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives and encourage medical
Professionals and attorneys to volunteer their time and effort to improve public know /edge and
increase the number of advance directives in Florida; and
WHEREAS, Collier County is committed to educating the public about the importance of discussing health care
choices and executing health care directives,• and
WHEREAS, as a result of this day, more citizens will have conversations about their healthcare decisions and
execute advance directives to make their wishes known and fewer families and healthcare providers
will have to struggle with difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient.
NOW THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that April 16,
2012 be designated as
HEAL THCARE DECISIONS DAY
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 10th Day of April 201 Z.
ATTEST:
�y nom, to
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
:j
FRED W. COYLE, CHAIRMAN