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Houghton, Michigan—Keweenaw Community Foundation (KCF) has partnered with Omega House to promote Advance Care Planning (ACP) by providing and distributing ACP resources for the general public and health care providers in the community.
Advance Care Planning is a process of designating a health care advocate and discussing, documenting, and sharing personal choices for health and end-of-life care with family members and health care providers. KCF granted Omega House five thousand dollars to provide information, resource materials, and ACP training for individuals, families, community groups, and health care providers throughout the area.
“We are delighted in receiving this funding from the Keweenaw Community foundation for our Advance Care Planning initiative,” said new Omega House Executive Director, Mike Lutz. “Our strategic vision is to be a community leader in advance care planning. We believe advance care planning is a cornerstone for providing quality person-centered health care.”
Through this partnership, Five Wishes ACP forms have been made available to the community at the KCF and Omega House offices. Five Wishes is an easy to use, readily accessible, and legally-binding ACP form that takes into account the individual’s personal, emotional, and spiritual needs as well as his or her medical wishes—putting them firmly in control of their care.
The monies granted came from KCF’s Herman Gundlach Fund, named after the late Herman “Winks” Gundlach. Winks championed the cause of end-of-life dignity and autonomy—with hospice and palliative care as well as the “Living Will”, or Advanced Care Directive. Jim Vivian, Executive Director of KCF, said, “Improving the quality of life in our area also means improving the quality of end-of-life, and we could not be prouder of this initiative.”
For more information on advance care planning, please contact Mike Lutz at michael.lutz@omega-house.org.
Omega House provides a residential, home-like environment where terminally ill Houghton and Keweenaw county residents may live fully during their final days, free from pain and social isolation. For more information on Omega House, visit its website at http://www.omega-house.org/.
Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, Keweenaw Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come. For more information on Keweenaw Community Foundation and how to give, visit its website at www.k-c-f.org.
