A Health Issue Everyone Should Discuss at Their Annual Exam

Whether you’re 20 or 80, healthy or sick, you need to discuss your plans for Advance Care with your doctor.

Advance Care Planning involves thinking about what types of medical decisions you will want made for you if you are in a situation where you cannot state them yourself.

Sound depressing? It doesn’t have to be. This conversation is an opportunity for you to consider and communicate your values, and how they might affect your end-of-life care.

If you’re receiving Medicare benefits, this discussion is now fully covered, as well. Medicare pays for Advance Care Planning at your Welcome to Medicare Exam, as well as at each Annual Wellness Visit.

Creating an Advance Directive

The decisions you make put into a legally binding document called an advance directive.

Some of the decisions in an advance directive might include whether you want to be put on a ventilator if you cannot breathe on your own, and whether you want CPR if your heart stops.

It is important to remember that these decisions are not set in stone. You can change them at any time, whenever your situation, your health, or your feelings change.

Appointing a Healthcare Proxy

It may be hard to know what you would want at some future point, especially if you are currently in good health. Moreover, the exact nature of your condition may influence the decision-making process. For these reasons, it is wise to designate a healthcare proxy, someone who you can trust to make medical decisions that are in your best interest and in accordance with what you would want if you were able to talk.

You might choose a relative to be your healthcare proxy, but you don’t have to. A good friend might have a better sense of your values — and they also might have a calmer head in an emergency.

Both the advance directive and healthcare proxy form are legal documents, but in New York and New Jersey, they do not need to be notarized or executed by a lawyer. You can find these forms, as well as more information about advance directives and healthcare proxies by clicking here.

If you have Medicare coverage, the best time to have these discussions with your doctor is at the Welcome to Medicare visit or at your Annual Wellness Visit, at which time Medicare covers the entire cost. But if you have missed that opportunity this year, don’t it stop you. Medicare Part B also covers Advance Care Planning.

At Laurel Bay Health and Rehabilitation Center, in Keansburg, NJ, our residents receive the highest quality rehabilitative and skilled nursing care in a homelike and compassionate environment conducive to healing.

Our family -owned and -operated 123-bed facility, is tucked away in the quiet beach town of Keansburg, NJ at the Jersey Shore, within sight of Sandy Hook and the New York City skyline.

Our services include short-term rehab, long-term care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, hospice care, and respite care for those times when the caretaker needs to be taken care of.

We proudly provide the following specialty healthcare services: complex medical care management, intravenous (IV) therapy, wound care, enteral feeding, pain management, oxygen therapy, tracheostomy care, a dedicated pulmonary program, hospice care with private suites, a stroke rehab program, respiratory support, eye care, dental care, podiatry care, and psychological consults and counseling.

We pride ourselves on healing the entire patient through a holistic and individualized approach.

Our meticulous care planning helps us ensure that each and every resident receives the best in clinical care, support and unconditional love.

For over 25 years, we have been a staple of health and wellness, serving the members of our community and partnering with our local hospitals like Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, NJ and Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ.

We provide a tailored program of physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as all types of specialized care under one roof.

Read our reviews on senioradvisor.com, wellness.com, and caring.com to hear what our residents and their families have to say.

Or better yet, come see for yourself. Contact us to schedule a tour by clicking here or by calling (372) 787-8100.