RVNAhealth Offers Advance Care Planning Support to Community Members

One of the many important services that the RVNAhealth ComfortWELL team delivers year-round is help and facilitation with Advance Care Planning – the process of guiding individuals to make plans about their future health care choices. An Advance Care Plan provides direction to healthcare professionals when a person is not in a position to make and/or communicate their own healthcare choices, and it enables family and friends to follow a loved one's wishes without the burden of trying to figure out what they are.

“Advance Care Planning is a true gift to oneself and to one’s family,” says Keri Linardi, RN, BSN, PHN, CHPCA, Chief Clinical Officer at RVNAhealth. “It allows clarity in health care decision making prior to crises in health, and it gives families or decision-makers one last opportunity to honor their loved ones wishes. A final gift to close the circle.”

“And, while we promote Advance Care Planning at all times,” Linardi continues, ”now – when you have time at home and when COVID-19 is so active in our communities – is a very good time to take care of this. Our team is here to help.”

RVNAhealth is now offering Advance Care Planning support to all community members – free of charge. The help will be conducted via tele-health methods (phone, FaceTime, WhatsApp and other video-conferencing methods as needed) and will include the facilitation of discussion on such topics as wishes for care, COVID-19-specific conditions; benefits vs. burdens of particular decisions and more. The consultations will be conducted by key members of the RVNAhealth ComfortWELL team including Kaye Hale, MD, Hospice Associate Medical Director; Cindy Merritt, LCSW, Hospice Social Worker; Jessica Lewis, LCSW, Hospice Social Worker or Niamh Van Mienes, APRN.

“RVNAhealth is caring for a wide range of patients right now and our experiences are telling us clearly what is working and what needs attention. Our two ongoing recommendations for all patients and community members remain: practice all the recommended health measures including staying at home, social distancing, hand-washing; and take the time to prepare an advance care plan,” says Linardi.

To learn more, or make an appointment to meet with the RVNAhealth Advance Care Planning team, call 203-894-5014 or write to AdvanceCarePlanning@rvnahealth.org.

The photo shows Cindy Merritt, LCSW, in a conversation with an RVNAhealth patient family member

About RVNAhealth

RVNAhealth is a private, nonprofit organization that provides exceptional home and community health care services, supports public health and safety, and has promoted the highest quality of life for over 100 years. During this century, our name, services, and reach have evolved to meet the care and wellness needs of all those we serve, yet our focus on excellent care, quality and safety, and our guiding philosophy have remained steadfast – the individuals and patients we care for come first.