Political Quotes

“I wish to recognize that today, April 16, 2013, is National Healthcare Decisions Day. National Healthcare Decisions Day exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. It began as a local, grassroots effort 7 years ago in the Commonwealth of Virginia, started by a Virginia Attorney, and it became an annual event in 2008. It now is recognized across all 50 States as an annual imitative to provide clear, concise and consistent information on health care decision making to the public and providers. This year over 100 national organizations, including groups like the AARP, Volunteers of America, government groups like the Veterans Health Administration, providers like the hospital company HCA, American College of Nursing, and American Academy of Nursing, along with faith-based groups like B'nai B'rith International have all pledged to participate today to spread the word on the value of conversations about our goals and values and preferences about medical treatment. I know how important this is, not just from my time serving both as a Governor and as a Senator, but also through the eyes of a loved one who struggled with these issues. My mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease for 10 years, and for 9 of those years, she could not speak. My father, sister and I found grappling with the challenges of caring for her difficult.…”