HANCI - Services - Sharing Your Wishes

Under New York State law, no one – not even a spouse – has the legal right to make health care decisions if you cannot speak for yourself.

Sharing Your Wishes can help you and other adults to plan for your future care. We offer free materials as well as workshops for your civic, senior or other group.

The Sharing Your Wishes (SYW) materials and community presentations encourage all adults to:

Think about what's important to you
Select an "agent" to speak for you if you cannot speak for yourself
Talk about your wishes
Put your choices in writing by completing a New York State Health Care proxy form.

Wondering where you should keep your NYS Health Care proxy form? We even provide a safe and confidential place to store your advance directive documents on the Internet. Thus, it will always be available to your doctor and hospital in a time of need.

The program is administered by the Council on Aging and is funded by the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York.

What you can do now:

Call the Council on Aging at 716-285-8224 to arrange for:
- A free workshop for your senior, civic or church group
Visit the Council on Aging at HANCI to pick up free Sharing Your Wishes materials, including an Information Booklet and a NYS Health Care Proxy form