The Gift Initiative of Alive Hospice Launches Public Education Campaign to Increase Awareness and Participation

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gift Initiative of Alive Hospice is launching a public awareness campaign this holiday season designed to help educate people about the importance of advance directives.  Why do this during the holiday season? The people at The Gift Initiative say there is no better gift to give the people you love – or yourself – than filling out an advance directive form and having the conversation with those you love about your end-of-life care preferences.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131030/CL06518LOGO )

The "gift of conversation" gives you the power to protect the people you love by letting them know what you would want.          

"With many of us spending time with family this holiday season, we believe this is an appropriate time to discuss advance directives and 'the gift of conversation' with the public," said Keith King, community outreach coordinator for The Gift Initiative. "We are eager to provide the public with ways to have the talk with their loved ones about advance directives so this conversation is not awkward, but is the loving gift that it is intended to be."

Beginning Nov. 1, The Gift Initiative will roll out a public awareness campaign that will include social media initiatives, educational outreach programs, fact sheets, advertising, a new logo, a rack card, a refreshed website, partnership marketing, and media relations in an effort to help educate the public on the need for advance directives.  A live Twitter chat is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. CST and can be followed at hashtag #TheGiftInitiative.

The Gift Initiative is a community education collaborative in Tennessee led by Alive Hospice with community partners who recognize the critical need for education about advance planning for serious illnesses and end-of-life care. Alive Hospice is grateful for the generosity of HUMANA and First Tennessee and for their recognition of the serious need for better and earlier communication between patients, families, and health care providers. For more information, go to www.TheGiftInitiative.org.

SOURCE The Gift Initiative of Alive Hospice