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Health
Care Directives Available for National Health Care
Decisions Week -
October 20-26th
Minneapolis (10-09-02): --
The American Bar Association, American Medical
Association and the Health Resources and Services
Administration have designated October 20-26th
as National Health Care Decisions Week. This is a public
education initiative to promote awareness on the topics
of health care advance directives, and organ and tissue
donation.
A Health Care Directive is a written and executed
legal document relating to health care. It can serve the
purpose of naming an agent to make health care decisions
on a person’s behalf should he or she become unable to
do so. The document can also be used to give health care
instructions to guide others in making health care
decisions for an individual.
As part of this effort, the Hennepin County Bar
Association is making available its Health Care
Directive booklet. Booklets are available for $2.00 each
which includes shipping. Please contact Deb Stender at
612-752-6618 or deb@hcba.org
for more information.
Any competent person 18 years of age or older can
execute a Health Care Directive. Health Care Directives
are not only for older persons; younger people may also
become incompetent to make or communicate their wishes
as a result of an accident or disease.
You do not need a lawyer to prepare a Health Care
Directive but there are circumstances where it may be
helpful. If you need assistance finding an attorney
contact the bar association’s Lawyer Referral Service
at 612-752-6666.
The Hennepin County Bar Association, the largest of
Minnesota's 21 county bar associations and representing
almost half of Minnesota's attorneys, is a private,
non-profit organization which provides or supports many
free or low-cost services to the public including:
Volunteer Lawyers Network which provide free legal
advice for low income people; TEL-LAW, a legal
information message system available at no charge in
local calling areas; Lawyer Referral and Information
Services; public education programming; and financial
grants through the Bar Foundation
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