ARLINGTON, Texas — Patty Maggard knew the importance of preparing for one’s death.
But while she and her husband made their wills, it wasn’t until she attended an advance care planning class that she helped organize at her Cleburne church that Maggard learned about other important legal documents needed. After all, how would their loved ones and medical care providers know their wishes if either became incapacitated?
“If you’ve never discussed it with them, they don’t know whether you want a feeding tube or not. Do you want to keep going? Keep you alive no matter what?” Maggard said. “It’s really such a gift to yourself and people you love.”
To share this important gift with others, Texas Health faith community nurses are offering free classes for patients, employees and the public at all wholly owned Texas Health hospital locations. Virtual classes are also being offered.
The class, which lasts about two hours, teaches about advance directive documents, including the medical power of attorney and directive to physicians, and provides guidelines on how to prepare these legal documents and with whom they should be shared.
“Texas Health is committed to our Vision: Partnering with you for a lifetime of health and well-being,” said Catherine Oliveros, DrPH, vice president of Community Health Improvement for Texas Health. “We are empowering community members to have a voice in their medical care, reduce the burden on their loved ones and hopefully improve their quality of life near death.”
The Faith Community Nursing program is part of Texas Health Community Hope’s unique approach to promoting healthier futures. Registered nurses and health promotors work within a congregation to provide health-related programs tailored to member and neighborhood needs.
The classes are being offered at wholly owned hospitals in collaboration with Enterprise Care Management.
“We recognized that many of our patients did not have advance directives or a medical power of attorney so that someone could share their wishes when they could not speak for themselves,” said Caryn Paulos, M.S.N., RN-BC, senior director of Faith/Community Health Improvement.
Saundra Brown, Faith Community Nursing manager, said anyone over the age of 18 should consider advance care planning.
“Younger people often do not consider how tragedy can impact healthcare decisions,” Brown said. “The worst time to make advance care plans is while an admitted patient is facing a catastrophic diagnosis, yet this is when many are completed.”
The course also teaches attendees how to talk with their loved ones about their healthcare choices.
“Families and patients have much better outcomes when this is done prior to unforeseen circumstances,” Brown said. “When everyone has had time to discuss their wishes, family knows they are speaking for the patient and not for what they ‘hope’ the patient wants.”
For Maggard, knowing she and her husband had completed advance care planning was a comfort when he passed away from lung disease in 2019. He had requested that she let him go but keep him comfortable.
“It was so much easier – peaceful.”
For a list of upcoming 2025 advance care planning classes and how to register, click on the hospital location links below:
Texas Health Arlington Memorial
The dates and times of virtual courses can be found here.
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About Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources is a faith-based, nonprofit health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. With a service area that consists of 16 counties and more than 7 million people, the system is committed to providing quality, coordinated care through its Texas Health Physicians Group and 29 hospital locations under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. Texas Health access points and services, ranging from acute-care hospitals and trauma centers to outpatient facilities and home health and preventive services, provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. The system has more than 4,100 licensed hospital beds, 6,400 physicians with active staff privileges and more than 26,000 employees. For more information about Texas Health, call 1-877-THR-WELL, or visit www.TexasHealth.org.