Maybe you already know what an “advance care directive” is, but you’ve been putting it off because it’s a scary topic. Or maybe you’ve heard the term, but you aren’t quite sure what it is. If so, an upcoming workshop at Grace Cottage can help.

On Thursday, Feb. 11, 9:45 - noon, Grace Cottage is offering “It’s Really About Love,” an informational session on Advance Care Directives in collaboration with Taking Steps Brattleboro, a project of Brattleboro Area Hospice.

Taking Steps Brattleboro has trained volunteers to support and guide people through the process of advance care planning. This is a free service to all members of the community.
Joanna Rueter, MSW, Coordinator of Taking Steps Brattleboro, will lead the discussion, which will include the following topics:

• Why every adult needs an advance care directive
• How to fill out an advance care directive
• The key decisions that need to be made
• Why this is really about love, and
• Any other questions that come up

Rueter is a Respecting Choices® Advance Care Planning certified Facilitator and Instructor as well as a trained Hospice Volunteer. She has personally experienced the importance of this paperwork as a family member.

If a serious illness or accident leaves someone unable to communicate, an advance directive tells loved ones and healthcare providers what that person would want. During a health emergency, decisions can be so much easier when families have discussed and mapped out their wishes ahead of time. Thus, an advance directive is a gift for loved ones because it protects them from the heart-rending burden of having to second-guess a loved one’s wishes.

This event is free and open to the public. Adults of all ages are invited. The workshop will be held from 9:45 a.m. to noon on Feb. 11 in the Grace Cottage Community Wellness Center’s Holt Conference room, 133 Grafton Road (Route 35), Townshend. To sign up for this workshop, call 802-365-3649.