By: Nic Hayes
We don’t like to think about it, but a change in health or an accident can happen to any of us; however, most of us don’t plan for it. In fact, many of us put more thought and planning into a vacation than into our wishes regarding care in the event of a serious illness or accident.
In the US, only 30 percent of adults have an advance directive, leaving 70 percent of families unsure of what to do if their loved one is unable to communicate and make important medical decisions for themselves. However, solutions like Five Wishes at Work make a difference by helping to make dignified care a reality for all.
Offering the benefit of an advance care directive to help employees think through care needs before confronting a health emergency – for themselves or a loved one – is a proactive way employers can contribute to the well-being of their employees.
Five Wishes, a program of the national nonprofit Aging with Dignity, is the nation’s premier advance care planning program. More than 25 years ago it was developed as a grassroots solution to help individuals and families have the important conversation around healthcare issues that doesn’t involve overly complex legal or medical jargon. During that time, more than 42 million Five Wishes advance directives have been distributed by more than 50,000 organizations.
The Five Wishes at Work program is a comprehensive, person-centered advance care planning benefit that offers employers a proven, easy-to-use approach to providing a useful and inexpensive benefit to their employees. The program works for large companies, small businesses, and all other settings. Most of the program components are customizable based on specific needs and the size of each business.
“The Five Wishes at Work employee packets were definitely a hit. Personally, my immediate family has had three family meetings. The Five Wishes booklet has been an effective guide to very difficult, yet pivotal conversations.”
-Carlyn Paton, BS, MA, Ed.D, Education & Training Manager, COLA
Providing Peace of Mind
Those who have experienced navigating a serious illness or injury with a loved one know how taxing the process can be. There are so many things they wish they knew — about the health care system, about their loved one’s wishes, about taking care of themselves. Advance care planning takes some of the guesswork out of a time packed with unknowns.
Studies show that people who think through and plan for their own care in the case of health emergency make healthier choices today. That’s why it’s important for all of us – regardless of our age or health – to talk with our families and loved ones about what kind of care we would want if we ever become too sick to speak for ourselves.
Five Wishes at Work is a benefit that offers peace of mind to employers and their team. It is a turnkey package that has helped millions of people talk about advance care planning. In a survey of employers who provide Five Wishes at Work to their employees, 96% said they would strongly recommend Five Wishes to their HR colleagues and 93% saying it is a useful tool for employees. Additionally, 90% said they felt offering Five Wishes at Work was appreciated by employees.
When goals of care are put in writing using the Five Wishes advance directive, employers save money from less absenteeism and turnover, fewer unwanted ICU visits and shorter hospital stays. Quite simply, it’s an investment in a benefit for your employees that pays dividends.
“Those who have experienced navigating a serious illness or injury with a loved one know how taxing the process can be. There are so many things they wish they knew — about the health care system, about their loved one’s wishes, about taking care of themselves. Advance care planning takes some of the guesswork out of a time packed with unknowns.” – Joanne Eason, President, Five Wishes
The Benefit Provided
Five Wishes provides a significant benefit to both employees and employers by providing resources to help employees proactively think through how they would navigate the care associated with serious accidents or chronic illnesses for themselves or a loved one eliminating some of the stressful decision-making related to these situations.
Five Wishes accomplishes this with their easy-to-use, turn-key, scalable tools and resources. Five Wishes at Work is:
- Easy to Implement: Rather than being a standalone document, Five Wishes encompasses a complete, turn-key program designed with the help of human resource professionals with their specific needs in mind. The program can be seamlessly implemented into any workplace with minimal time, money, and effort.
- Proven Effective: Five Wishes is the nation’s most popular advance directive (“living will”) with more than 42 million copies in national circulation.
- Support-based: Five Wishes provides Conversation Guides, online training modules, and one-on-one consultations with staff to encourage everyone to engage in meaningful advance care planning conversations with their loved ones and physicians.
- Easy to Understand and Culturally Diverse: Five Wishes is written clearly in everyday language, and it is available in 31 languages, Braille, and is considerate of cultural morals.
- Cost-Conscious: Five Wishes provides a legally binding document for a small one-time-fee per employee, making advance care planning accessible to all businesses regardless of size.
We are proud to feature Five Wishes on the Granite List.
