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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The observance of National Healthcare Decisions |
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| 6 | 7 | | Week from April 16 to 22, 2017, is designed to raise awareness of |
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| 7 | 8 | | the importance of advance care planning; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Although the nation has made great strides in |
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| 9 | 10 | | providing end-of-life care, it has fallen short in ensuring that |
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| 10 | 11 | | terminally ill patients receive care that is in keeping with their |
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| 11 | 12 | | values, goals, and preferences; a 2014 report by the Institute of |
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| 12 | 13 | | Medicine called for significant reforms in this regard, emphasizing |
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| 13 | 14 | | that all individuals should have the opportunity to actively |
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| 14 | 15 | | participate in decisions about the care they receive in the last |
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| 15 | 16 | | stages of life; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Individuals can communicate their end-of-life |
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| 17 | 18 | | desires to health care providers by means of advance directives, |
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| 18 | 19 | | including living wills and durable powers of attorney; such |
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| 19 | 20 | | documents are a gift to loved ones, saving them from the struggle of |
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| 20 | 21 | | trying to divine wishes that were never expressed; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Many Texans have not prepared advance directives, |
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| 22 | 23 | | and the problem is particularly acute among Mexican Americans and |
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| 23 | 24 | | other minority populations; in Hidalgo County, which is more than |
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| 24 | 25 | | 90 percent Hispanic, advocates are working to encourage timely |
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| 25 | 26 | | discussions of end-of-life wishes and to demystify the planning |
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| 26 | 27 | | process through La Conversacion Valiosa, a program presented in |
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| 27 | 28 | | conjunction with the Texas Health Institute; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, This special week reminds Texans that the process of |
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| 29 | 30 | | communicating patient preferences should be initiated at the |
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| 30 | 31 | | earliest possible stage and that advance care directives should be |
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| 31 | 32 | | updated periodically to offer peace of mind to patients and loved |
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| 32 | 33 | | ones alike; now, therefore, be it |
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| 33 | 34 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 34 | 35 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 16 to 22, 2017, as National |
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| 35 | 36 | | Healthcare Decisions Week and commend all those associated with La |
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| 36 | 37 | | Conversacion Valiosa for their efforts to facilitate advance care |
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| 37 | 38 | | planning. |
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