On Valentine’s Day, consider the gift of peace of mind
Advance care planning, which includes creating an advance directive or living will, is a process that defines your goals and wishes as they relate to health care. An advance care plan will require answering important questions about your desired quality of life, who you’d like to serve as your health care surrogate and more. An advance care plan provides vital information to clinicians and loved ones if you are unable to communicate for yourself.
“Conversations about end-of-life care can be sad, difficult or uncomfortable, but these are important and necessary conversations to have and—ultimately—the people that benefit the most from having an advance care plan are the people you love,” says Brian Duke, system director of senior services at Main Line Health. “An advance care plan ensures that you get the medical care you want should you become unable to speak for yourself, and it relieves your family and friends of the burden of guessing what your wishes are.”
Main Line Health’s ‘Your Life. Your Way.’ advance care planning kit aims to make discussions around advance care planning easier to have. This free kit is available for download online, and can help guide conversations between you and your loved ones about the critical decisions involved in end-of-life care.
Ready to talk about advance care planning? We can help you start the conversation. Download one—or all four!—of our Valentine’s Day cards (PDF) to help you let your loved ones know that advance care planning is an important and meaningful gift for you. Visit our advance care planning web page or call 484.580.1234 to receive your free Advance Care Planning Kit.
Main Line Health serves patients at hospitals and health centers throughout the western suburbs of Philadelphia. To schedule an appointment with a specialist at Main Line Health, call 1.866.CALL.MLH (225.5654) or use our secure online appointment request form.
About Main Line Health
Founded in 1985, Main Line Health is a not-for-profit health system serving Philadelphia and its suburbs. Main Line Health's commitment — to deliver safe, high-quality, equitable and affordable care for treating and curing disease, playing an important role in prevention and disease management, as well as training physicians and other health care providers — reflects our intent to be the region's premier choice for clinical care, research, and education. A team of more than 13,000 employees and over 3,500 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers care for patients throughout Main Line Health.
At Main Line Health's core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals — Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital — as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital.
Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, which includes skilled home health care, hospice and home infusion services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology, and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization; and Main Line HealthCare, one of the region's largest multispecialty physician networks.
Main Line Health is the recipient of numerous awards for quality care and service, including the prestigious American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize, highest tier ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Overall Hospital Quality and systemwide recognition in the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Main Line Health is committed to creating an environment of diversity, respect, equity and inclusion, has proudly received awards in this area and has embraced the American Hospital Association's #123forEquity Pledge to Act to eliminate disparities in care. We are dedicated to advancing patient-centered care, education and research to help patients stay healthy and live their best lives.
For more information, visit mainlinehealth.org and connect with us on social media:
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