Florida Senate - 2009                            (NP)    SR 2790
       
       
       
       By Senator Sobel
       
       
       
       
       31-04792-09                                           20092790__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution recognizing April 16, 2009, as
    3         “Healthcare Decisions Day” in Florida.
    4  
    5         WHEREAS, Healthcare Decisions Day is designed to raise
    6  public awareness of the need to plan ahead for health care
    7  decisions related to end-of-life care and medical decision
    8  making whenever patients are unable to speak for themselves and
    9  to encourage the specific use of advance directives to
   10  communicate these important health care decisions, and
   11         WHEREAS, the Florida Bar Association provides the specifics
   12  of Florida’s advance directives law and offers a model form for
   13  patient use, and
   14         WHEREAS, it is estimated that only approximately 20 percent
   15  of Floridians have executed an advance directive and that less
   16  than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an
   17  advance directive, and
   18         WHEREAS, it is likely that a significant reason for these
   19  low percentages is that there is both a lack of public knowledge
   20  and considerable confusion about advance directives, and
   21         WHEREAS, one of the principal goals of Healthcare Decisions
   22  Day is to encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living
   23  facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and hospices
   24  to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and
   25  consistent information to the public about advance directives,
   26  as well as to encourage medical professionals and lawyers to
   27  volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and
   28  increase the number of Floridians with advance directives, and
   29         WHEREAS, other organizations throughout Florida are
   30  encouraged to endorse this event and express their commitment to
   31  educating the public about the importance of discussing health
   32  care choices and executing advance directives, and
   33         WHEREAS, as a result of “Healthcare Decisions Day” in
   34  Florida, the hope is that Floridians will have conversations
   35  about their health care decisions and execute advance directives
   36  to make their wishes known, and fewer families and health care
   37  providers will have to struggle with making difficult health
   38  care decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, NOW,
   39  THEREFORE,
   40  
   41  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   42  
   43         That April 16, 2009, is recognized as “Healthcare Decisions
   44  Day” in the State of Florida.