Mass Senior Care Association is a proud member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care formed in 2016 in response to the growing importance of end of life care, and the need for new strategies to encourage informed decision-making and advance planning. More than eighty Massachusetts-based organizations have come together to form the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care. Working at these groups are dedicated physicians, nurses, hospice workers, counselors, clergy, hospital and health plan administrators, social workers, attorneys, policymakers, researchers, and other health professionals. Ultimately, people need to be at the center of discussions with family and others concerning all aspects of their care; Coalition efforts are designed to support these important conversations.

Coalition Core Priority Goals

In order to help achieve their mission to ensure that health care for everyone in Massachusetts is in accordance with their goals, values and preferences at all stages of life and in all steps of their care, the Coalition has established six core priorities.

  1. Name a Health Care Proxy

    Everyone in Massachusetts, 18 or older, has designated a health care decision-maker (health care proxy)

     
  2. Engage in ongoing conversations with your health care proxy 

    Everyone in Massachusetts, 18 or older, has had a conversation (and continues to have conversations) with their proxy to communicate their goals, values and preferences for care at the end of life.

     
  3. Ensure appropriate training for clinicians 

    All Massachusetts clinicians have appropriate training to facilitate high-quality communication with patients on advance care planning and serious illness. 

     
  4. Have an informed conversation with your care team 

    Everyone in Massachusetts facing a serious illness has had a high-quality, informed goals and values conversation with their care team.

     
  5. Create a system to elicit and document wishes

    All Massachusetts health care providers have systems in place to elicit and document goals, values, and preferences for patients with serious illness.

     
  6. Ensure that preferences can be shared, regardless of place of care 

    All Massachusetts health care providers have systems in place to share patient goals, values and preferences across care settings, to ensure they are accessible regardless of place of care.