RALEIGH, N.C., April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Advance Care
Planning (ACP) expert and educator, Gloria
Thomas Anderson, PhD, LMSW, is urging Black Americans to
prepare advance healthcare documents in April—in recognition of
National Minority Health Month (NMHM)—and shine light on the
importance of formalized end-of-life healthcare
decision-making.
Families are weighing the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines
against the potentially deadly impact of having the illness itself,
and other factors such as existing chronic illnesses and unforeseen
medical emergencies, yet Black Americans are still considerably
less likely to participate in informal or formal ACP.
"We'd like to see more people having conversations about
end-of-life care plans and emergency healthcare planning," Dr.
Anderson, who survived a sudden near-death experience
just one year after writing her ACP resource book, continues, "It's
important to talk about it, and to get your paperwork in order
while you can—before you have a need."
Many people aren't aware of available end-of-life healthcare
options until or unless presented with them in emergency
situations when pressure is high and time is of the essence.
Circumstances like this can create tension, leading to rush
judgment calls and disagreements among family members and medical
decisions being made without input from patients, who may be
unable to speak for themselves.
"What would your healthcare wishes be if you were no
longer able to speak for yourself due to a life-threatening illness
or accident? And who would know your wishes?" she
asks.
Dr. Anderson is available for interviews. For more information
about her CDC-recommended advance care planning resource book, and
ACP workshops, visit www.EOLcareguide.org.
About Gloria Thomas Anderson,
PhD, LMSW
Dr. Anderson is the author of The
African-American Spiritual and Ethical Guide to End-of-Life Care:
What Y'all Gon' Do With Me? and creator of the Let's Talk About
ACP workshop program. She is an Assistant Professor in the
School of Social Work at North Carolina State
University and founding president of Heart Tones™, a
literary arts ministry she began 35 years ago. Her own near-death
experience serves as a catalyst to engage diverse individuals in
safe and meaningful discussions about important real-life issues,
such as end-of-life care, grief, and loss.
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SOURCE Gloria Thomas Anderson,
PhD, LMSW