COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new translation of LeadingAge Ohio’s, “Choices: Living Well at the End of Life,” advanced directives booklet is now available in Spanish thanks to funding from United Healthcare. This comes as an addition to the Ohio Living Will and Power of Attorney documents translated in Nepali, Somali, and Arabic with support from the Ohio Hospital Association, the Ohio State Medical Association, the Central Ohio Hospital Council, the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio, OSU Wexner Medical Center and Bon Secours Mercy Health.
“All Ohioans should be given the opportunity to communicate their healthcare wishes in a way that is understandable to them,” states Susan Wallace, LeadingAge Ohio’s President/CEO. “LeadingAge Ohio is grateful to our partner organizations who saw the need and joined us in removing this barrier to advance care planning.”
Ohio has among the largest populations of Somali and Nepali people in the US and Spanish-speaking individuals represent more than 4% of Ohio’s total population. Prior to the latest translated release of “Choices” and additional advanced directives, these documents were only available in English.
These new translations make it easier for more Ohioans to make their healthcare wishes known to family, loved ones and healthcare providers. The new translations can be found on the LeadingAge Ohio Website at LeadingAgeOhio.org under the Family Resources section, in addition to other helpful resources for serious illness planning.
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Founded in 1937, LeadingAge Ohio is a nonprofit organization that represents over 400 long-term care organizations and hospices, as well as those providing ancillary health care and housing services, in more than 150 Ohio towns and cities. The continuum of care reflected by the member organizations serve an estimated 400,000 elderly Ohioans daily and employ more than 35,000 persons statewide.