HEALTH CARE LIBRARY IN LA MESA WILL HOST FREE MEETING ON ADVANCE HEALTHCARE PLANNING

East County News Service

April 18, 2017 (La Mesa) – The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host “The Gift of My Life,” a free program on advance healthcare planning, from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 26. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. Advance RSVP is not necessary. Handouts will be available.

Speaker at the program will be Teressa Vaughn, advance care planning consultant, Sharp HealthCare. Vaughn will provide information to help start advance healthcare planning for yourself and loved ones. Kathy Quinn, Herrick Library director, said, “Advance care planning is a process aimed at allowing competent adults to guide their medical care at times when they are unable to speak for themselves. Completing a health care directive provides your loved ones with a unique `gift’ of knowing your health care wishes.”

The Herrick Library program on April 26 will mark Sharp HealthCare’s recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) during the month of April. NHDD was held this year on April 16. NHDD, an initiative of The Conversation Project in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, aims to help people across the U.S. understand the value of advance healthcare planning. NHDD exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. The theme for the 2017 NHDD was “It always seems too early, until it’s too late.”

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. The library is operated by the Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County. For more information, phone the library at (619) 825‑5010 or visit www.herricklibrary.org.