For the fourth year in a row, the NC Bar Association and numerous health care systems, hospice providers and senior advocates will be hosting free advance health care planning clinics in counties throughout North Carolina. Most of the clinics will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2017 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Here’s some information you may want to know:
What are the clinics?
An opportunity for North Carolinians to learn about their right to execute advance directives – specifically living wills and health care powers of attorney – under N.C. law and to receive assistance in executing them if they so desire. You can get a more in-depth overview of how the clinics operate at www.gotplans123.org.
Where will the clinics be held?
The clinics will be hosted by community providers in multiple NC counties. These community hosts are typically hospitals, senior centers, hospice organizations and similar entities. Each community host has identified a site accessible to the public.
Who is involved?
Each clinic will be staffed by experienced volunteers, usually some combination of attorneys, community educators, social workers and clinical experts. These volunteers help the community hosts answer questions about the need for advanced directives. The attorney volunteers also provide one-on-one legal assistance to visitors who elect to execute those documents.
How many people attend the clinics?
In 2016, we served over 500 NC families in 20 counties. Some sites had as few as 20 attendees and some had over 100. In 2017, given our advance planning, we expect more sites and larger crowds at each event.