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Public Policy and End-of-Life Care

 

Resources

  • Factsheet: Race & Ethnicity and Death & Dying in California
  • Factsheet: Intensity of Care and High Costs at End of Life and Impacts of Advance Care Planning, Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Factsheet: The Final Chapter: Californians' Attitudes & Experiences with Death & Dying
  • PowerPoint: Research Update – key facts from recent research on palliative care, Alzheimer’s Disease, and more.
  • Report: Final Chapter: Californians' Attitudes & Experiences with Death & Dying, February 2012. The California HealthCare Foundation in collaboration with the Coalition for Compassionate Care.

California Legislation

2012 Legislation

SB 135 (Hernandez) – Hospice Facilities
This bill creates a specific licensing category for inpatient hospices, known as congregate living health facility-hospices.
 

2011 Legislation

AB 507 (Hayashi) – Pain Management [PDF]
This bill removes legal barriers to pain management and practice in California.
SB 177 (Strickland) – Congregate Living Health Facilities [PDF]
This bill creates a specific licensing category for inpatient hospices, known as congregate living health facility-hospices..
 

2008 Legislation

Governor Schwarzenegger signed four bills into law in 2008 that affect the end of life. The laws became effective January 1, 2009.


AB 3000 (Wolk) – Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) [PDF]
This bill provides consumers with a new mechanism – Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) – to ensure that their wishes are honored regarding medical treatment towards the end of life.
AB 2747 (Berg) – End-of-Life Care [PDF]
When a health care provider makes a diagnosis of a terminal illness, the provider shall, upon the patient’s request, provide comprehensive information and counseling regarding legal end-of-life options.
AB 2565 (Eng) – Brain Death [PDF]
Requires hospitals to adopt a policy for providing family or next of kin with a reasonable period of time in the event a patient is declared brain dead. During this period the hospital is required to continue cardiopulmonary support.
SB 1196 (Runner) – Coroner Inquiries [PDF]
If a decadent was been attended to by a hospice nurse within 20 days prior to death, the coroner does not have to review the death. Select bills related to end-of-life care from previous years.

2007

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2005

2004

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2002

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2000

 
2013 National Health Care Decisions Day
April 16, 2013
Join Americans across the country to talk to others about your future health care decisions and to complete your advance directive! Learn more at National Healthcare Decisions Day.
2013 Health Care Decisions Week
October 27 – November 2, 2013

Health Care Decisions Week helps Californians think about the kind of care they would want if they become seriously ill or incapacitated, talk with their loved ones and doctors and write down their wishes in an advance directive document.

 
What You Can Do – Special Events
Below are ideas for activities to highlight Health Care Decisions Day or Week.
Town Hall Meeting
Invite residents, neighbors, family members, and local elected officials to learn about advance care planning. In addition to speakers, provide written materials and identify resources available in the community.
Health Fair
Make "Health Care Decisions" part of a larger event. Invite your local hospital, clinic, physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacy, other suppliers, etc. to host a table during a community health fair. Blood pressure checks, information about flu shots, consumer resources, and information about advance directives could be part of a community-wide health fair.
Small Group Meetings
Host "Talking It Over" discussions by trained facilitators to help people talk with their parents or children about end-of-life wishes. Help people walk through the forms. Provide advance directives and other resources.
Press Conference
If your legislator has sponsored the resolution, consider hosting a press conference where she/he could present the resolution. This could also be part of another event.
For all events:

Be sure to invite your State Senator and/or Assembly Member to be a part of the event. Give them a speaking role (We can help with talking points and background on the issue) and invite your local media.

Your legislator might want to pick up an advance health care directive form as part of the public event to encourage others to do the same. Talk with the legislative staff person; maybe your legislator has a personal story on this topic she or he would be willing to share.

Reach out to others in the community who have an interest and/or expertise in this issue and collaborate on the event – assisted living communities, local hospital or clinic, physician groups, medical society, hospice providers, home health agencies, etc.

We can give you a sample press release. Take pictures of the event and publish them in your newsletters and on your website. Don’t forget to provide materials for attendees to take away from the event.

For more information, contact the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California.