S.C. Governor Declares April 2021 To Be Health Care Decisions Month

Apr 5

*Click image to view official proclamation*

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has declared April 2021 to be Health Care Decisions Month.

The governor’s declaration came via an official proclamation to raise awareness about this important month and to urge all South Carolinians to take part in the advance care planning (ACP) process.

Health Care Decisions Month is collective, statewide effort to highlight the importance of ACP, and to provide tools for making these decisions. It is held in conjunction with National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is April 16, and seeks to inspire, educate, and empower YOU to take control of YOUR future health care choices.

Now more than ever it is increasingly important for all of us to think about what matters most to us, talk about this with our loved ones, and write it down in an advance directive.

The COVID-19 pandemic is teaching us that we are all vulnerable to a serious illness.

We can’t plan for everything, but we can help manage life’s unknowns by talking openly about what matters and what we’d want most if we become seriously ill. Conversations about things we can’t control can actually help give us a sense of control.

As we continue to practice social distancing guidelines, we encourage you to use this month as a way to virtually connect with others.

What matters most to you? What are your wishes for the future, and what you would want if you became seriously ill?

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, too many people have been faced with the sudden need to consider what health care they (or their loved ones) would want should they be confronted with a critical health care emergency.

We never know when an unexpected health care event might occur, but we can take steps to be prepared. We encourage everyone to take time during April to do 3 things:

LEAD BY EXAMPLE by completing or updating your own Advance Care Plan (ACP). Think about what kind of care you want at the end of life, Talk with loved ones and healthcare providers about your end of life choices, and Write it down. Here is an easy-to-use guide, called ACP 3: https://www.mylifemychoices.org/blog/what-is-acp.
ENCOURAGE your friends and family to use The ACP 3.
SPREAD the word about SC Health Care Decisions Month: a variety of action steps are included in the My Life My Choices 2021 Health Care Decisions Month Toolkit.

Remember, it’s never too early until it’s too late.

Take The Decisions Month Pledge

The text of the Governor's Proclamation reads:

Whereas, Healthcare Decisions Month is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions, especially those related to end-of-life care and medical decision-making when patients are unable to speak for themselves, and to encourage the specific use of advance directives to communicate those important healthcare decisions; and

Whereas, decisions concerning health care should be made by individuals in consultation with their families and their healthcare provider; and

Whereas, many South Carolinians do not make adequate preparation for healthcare decisions in times of crisis or at end of life even though such preparation is readily accessible through the medical and legal communities; and

Whereas, Healthcare Decisions Month helps raise awareness of the need to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives and encourages medical and legal professionals to volunteer their time and efforts to improve public knowledge and increase the number of South Carolina citizens with advance directives.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Henry McMaster, Governor of the great State of South Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 2021 as HEALTHCARE DECISIONS MONTH throughout the state and encourage all South Carolinians to work together with the legal and medical communities to ensure that an individual’s wishes for health care, particularly as it relates to end-of-life care, are prepared, protected, and followed.