Advance Directives
Big Bend Hospice’s PEACE Program helps families plan for the future.
What do you do if you are unable to communicate or make decisions in the future to be ensured your wishes are followed by health and social care professionals?
Advance Care Planning (ACP) involves thinking about what matters most to you, making decisions about what kind of medical care and treatment you would or would not want if you were at the end of life, and choosing a person who can understand these decisions and speak for you if you are unable.
Five Wishes®
Five Wishes® is a document that helps you and the people in your life talk together about these important matters. It’s called an advance directive, because it helps you make decisions in advance that can direct your care later, and because it’s recognized in Florida as a legal document for this purpose.
Five Wishes® on Demand
Five Wishes® online allows you to complete and save the advance care document electronically free of charge. It can also be downloaded, printed, and completed by hand. Fill out the form below to get started!
Hard-copy documents, up to 10 copies, may be requested for pick up by calling 850-878-5310. Please remember to dial the area code even when calling local. If you require additional documents, you can purchase them HERE, based on your needs.
Trained Five Wishes® facilitators are available to assist in completing the documents.
Hospice Patients & Transition Clients
All BBH patients and Transition clients receive a Five Wishes® document in their admission packet. Their assigned social worker, a trained ACP Facilitator, can facilitate a conversation that includes:
- Thinking through one’s relevant values and preferences.
- Talking about one’s values and preferences with one’s spokesperson (selecting a healthcare surrogate).
- Documenting one’s wishes utilizing Five Wishes®.
- Reviewing the ACP periodically as their medical and/or social conditions may change.
Five Wishes® at Work
Five Wishes® at Work has helped thousands of employers ensure employees and their families get the care they want. Employers who offer advance care planning have seen a reduction in unwanted health care costs while increasing trust and productivity throughout their organizations
Many workplace wellness programs are designed to promote health and prevent disease. With chronic diseases touching every demographic, studies have shown people who think through and plan for their care in case of serious illness make healthier choices today.
Five Wishes® at Work can provide employers and civic organizations with a customized presentation on the value of ACP and caregiver issues, along with educational tools and Five Wishes® documents for each participant. Trained facilitators are also available to be onsite for individual conversations. Call 850-878-5310 to request a customized presentation. Please remember to dial the area code even when calling local.
