National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025: What You Should Know

National Healthcare Decisions Day is observed yearly on April 16. It’s a day to encourage everyone to make sure their family, doctors and healthcare providers know their healthcare wishes if they suddenly became too ill to make decisions for themselves. By planning ahead, you can make sure you get the care you want. Your loved ones won’t have to guess what you would want if you are unable to speak for yourself.

It’s not just for older people

Illness can happen to anyone, at any age, and it’s impossible to predict. Having a plan in place, even if you’re healthy now, can help make sure you get the care you want if something unexpected happens.

It’s OK if you don’t know exactly what you want

There is no “one right way” to make healthcare decisions. The important thing is to think about what matters to you, who should make decisions for you if you can’t, and what kind of care you would want. You can start by asking yourself, “What matters most to me?” and then talk with your family or doctor.

It starts with a conversation

Talking about your wishes doesn’t have to be hard, but it is an important conversation to have. You can talk to anyone you trust, like your family, friends, or your doctor. It might not be easy, but it’s important. The conversation doesn’t have to happen all at once, but it is important to have!

Take the next step: Write it down

Once you’ve thought about what you want and talked to your loved ones, it’s time to write down your wishes. Ochsner Health can help with tools that make sure your healthcare decisions are clearly documented. We have partnered with MyDirectives to provide the “Five Wishes” document to help you with your decisions. The Five Wishes are:

1. The person I want to make care decisions for me
   This section allows you to name someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so.
2. The kind of medical treatment I want or don't want
   Here, you can express your preferences for specific types of medical care you want when you are unable to communicate and not expected to get better.
3. How comfortable I want to be
   This part focuses on your comfort and pain management. It allows you to specify how you want to be cared for if you're in pain, or how you want your emotional and physical comfort to be prioritized.
4. How I want people to treat me
   This section addresses your personal and emotional needs, such as how you want to be treated by those around you—your family, friends, and caregivers.
5. What I want my loved ones to know
   In this section you can share your thoughts, feelings, and final wishes for your family and loved ones, to help them understand your end-of-life decisions.

In Louisiana, there are two advance care planning documents available: the advance directive, or “living will”; the healthcare power of attorney; and a set of portable medical orders issued by your doctor when faced with a serious life limiting illness: Louisiana Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment. 

The first wish in the list above can be used as your healthcare power of attorney document and the second can be used as your living will document. When witnessed by two people not related by blood or marriage, these are legal documents.

Advance directive: This is a legal document that states what kinds of treatment should be given to you when you can no longer make decisions or speak for yourself. It only goes into effect if you are terminally ill and have lost decision-making capacity, and it is usually completed in advance of any known illness. You complete it yourself, and unless there are other known facts, it must be honored. To become valid, it must include the signatures of two witnesses or notarized. 

Health care power of attorney: This document authorizes someone else to make decisions about your health care when you are no longer able to make those decisions or speak for yourself. To become valid, it must include the signatures of two witnesses or be notarized. In Louisiana, there is a very specific order of who can make these decisions for you if you have no written instructions available. If no health care decision maker has been appointed by you, the law establishes a very specific order of who can make decisions for you – those individuals are, in order, your legal guardian (if one has been appointed); spouse (unless legally separated); the majority of your children; your parents; the majority of your siblings; antecedents/descendants; special friends; and your attending physician (under certain circumstances). 

LaPOST: The LaPOST document is a set of portable medical orders designed specifically for patients with serious, advanced illnesses and limited life expectancy. This medical order is completed only after you, or your healthcare representatives, have discussed your goals of care and treatment preferences and possibilities with your physician. As a medical order, it travels with you across health care settings. When completed, it must be followed by all health care professionals. The LaPOST document may also be used to translate your advance directive into a physician's order. Mississippi residents can also find some helpful information about Mississippi advance directive on this from from caringinfo.org.

You can find more information about advance care planning on MyOchsner. Log in to your account, and click on the menu in the upper left corner. Scroll down to “Health Record,’’ and click on “Advance Care Planning.’’ From there, you can upload advance care planning documents, watch an instructional video, print forms, get advice on talking with loved ones, and read other helpful resources.

Having said all that:

I’ll ask you this: Do you want your loved ones’ last memory of you to be the one of them making decisions about your care at the end of your life? If it’s not, please – for their sake as well as your own – make those decisions now, tell them what you want and document your wishes.

Remember, the worst plan you can have is no plan at all.