Items of interest

Order of the Eastern Star to meet today

Hot Springs National Park Chapter 635 Order of the Eastern Star of Arkansas will meet today at the Hot Springs Masonic Temple, 311 W. Grand Ave.

Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. Members are asked to bring canned food, blankets or bears to be donated. Members under General Grand Chapter are welcome.

Democratic Party to meet Wednesday

The Democratic Party of Garland County will hold its April meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Democratic Headquarters at 608 W. Grand Ave.

The special guest will be Hot Springs City Manager Bill Burrough, who will discuss his recent State of the City report. "Join us to learn how the Hot Springs city government is working to improve the quality of life for area residents," a news release said.

A social begins at 5 p.m. followed by the meeting at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. Call 501-624-0300 for more information.

'Five Wishes' on National Healthcare Decisions Day

Today is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is observed annually on April 16 and is aimed at increasing the number of Americans who have completed an advance directive, or living will, in which they name the person who will make medical decisions for them in the event they are seriously ill or injured and can't speak for themselves.

"Experts say only about 20-30 percent of Americans have completed an advance directive even though all people age 18 and older should have one," a news release said.

"It's understandable that people would put off discussing the topic of serious illness and death, but it's essential to have this family conversation in advance," Cathy Newhouse, CEO Hospice Home Care, said in the release. "It's a discussion that should take place in the living room, not in the hospital waiting room when it may be too late."

Newhouse said Hospice Home Care has already provided 10,000 copies of Aging with Dignity's "Five Wishes" this year to individuals throughout Arkansas and Mississippi.

"'Five Wishes' is America's most popular advance care planning program with more than 30 million copies of its advance directive in national circulation. The 12-page document is easy to use and deals with personal, family and spiritual matters in addition to medical and legal concerns. 'Five Wishes' is also a valuable tool for beginning often difficult family discussions. It meets the legal requirements of 42 states (including Arkansas and Mississippi) and is useful in those states that still require state forms and mandatory notices. 'Five Wishes' is available in 29 languages in order to address the diverse cultural needs of the community," the release said.

"'Five Wishes' deals with the things people say matter most to them," Aging with Dignity President Paul Malley said. "It allows them to clearly state what kind of treatment they want or don't want so their families aren't left to guess or second-guess."

Aging with Dignity is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1996. "Five Wishes" was created with help from national legal experts, with initial development and distribution funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Call Hospice Home Care, 844-558-4100, or visit http://www.hospicehomecare.com and send a Quick Message to request a copy.

Society on 04/16/2019

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