Our Mission
The Westchester End-of-Life Coalition is made up of people who live and work in Westchester County, NY. The Coalition seeks to expand awareness of the importance of end-of-life issues and informs professionals and the public about available services. As a community-based coalition we draw on local resources to support those at the end of life, their families and their caregivers.
We envision and work toward a community where all those with life-limiting conditions are able to die with dignity, at peace, pain-free, in a place and manner of their choosing—a community where the dying and their families receive excellent and compassionate timely care and support. ...MORE ABOUT US...
Notable Articles
Emerging Issues in Palliative Care Program
Date: Tuesday December 6th, 2011
Location: Cardoza Law School, 55 5th Avenue, NYC, Room 204
See Flyer for Details:
Cardozo_Law_School_Dec_6_2011_Palliative_Care_Conf_flyer
Protect your wishes by filling out health care proxy
By David C. Leven and Mary Beth Morrissey
In February a new patient’s rights law, the Palliative Care Information Act, became effective in New York. Terminally ill patients now have the right to receive information and counseling regarding palliative care and end-of-life options. Many of us, when terminally ill, will no longer have decision-making capacity and will not be able to make decisions about those options. What if we have not appointed a health care agent to make decisions for us and no one knows what treatment we would want or not want? Would decisions be made for us contrary to what we would have decided?
Too many times we have heard, and you may have as well, stories about people no longer able to make health care decisions for themselves, suffering terribly at the end of their lives, and being kept alive on machines because no one knew their health care wishes. Many of us have in fact considered our end-of-life treatment preferences and, of course, expect and want them to be honored. Still, only about 30 percent of us have communicated these preferences to loved ones or our doctors and have actually appointed a health care agent to make health care decisions if we lose decision-making capacity. The time to appoint a trusted person to make these decisions for us and to have conversations with our loved ones and doctors about our goals of care is now, while we are healthy. This is a gift to our loved ones and ourselves.
READ FULL ARTICLE: The_Journal_News_HCP_41611
Family Health Care Decisions Act Summary
The Family Health Care Decisions Act establishes the authority of a patient’s family member or close friend to make health care decisions for the patient in cases where a patient lacks decisional capacity and did not leave prior instructions or appoint a health care agent. The family member or close friend’s decision making authority would include the authority to direct the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining treatment when standards set forth in the statute are satisfied.