National Volunteer Week, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Through countless acts of kindness, volunteers across America are changing our Nation for the better. During National Volunteer Week, we recognize those who take the time to help their fellow citizens realize the full potential of America.

Through volunteer work, Americans can demonstrate the kindness and generosity that make our Nation great.  Mentoring a child, teaching someone to read, visiting the elderly, feeding the hungry, and finding shelter for the homeless are all examples of how Americans can and do aid those in need.  Americans are volunteering in record numbers.  Each year, millions of Americans volunteer, and more of our fellow citizens are discovering that the pursuit of happiness leads to the path of service.  The cumulative effort of the love and compassion from our Nation's volunteers will help secure a more hopeful future for all our citizens.

My Administration remains committed to building a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility.  The USA Freedom Corps strengthens civic engagement and volunteer service in America and helps people connect with volunteer opportunities.  By visiting the USA Freedom Corps website at volunteer.gov, individuals can find information about ways they can help in their local areas and across the country.

The strength of America comes from its compassionate and loving citizens.  National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to show appreciation for our Nation's volunteers.  The time and energy they dedicate to helping those in need reflect the true spirit of America.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 27 through May 3, 2008, as National Volunteer Week.  I call upon all Americans to recognize and celebrate the important work that volunteers do every day throughout our country.  I also encourage citizens to explore ways to help their neighbors in need and serve a cause greater than self.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell encourages everyone to plan ahead for health care and end of life decisions

National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is on April 16th. This nationwide initiative is designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for health care decisions and to encourage the use of advance directives to communicate important health care decisions.  NHDD is a collaborative effort of national, state and community organizations committed to ensuring that all adults with decision-making capacity in the United States have the information and opportunity to communicate and document their healthcare decisions. 

Making end of life decisions can be an extremely difficult challenge.  But it is an important responsibility that each of us should be willing to assume for our sake and the sake of our loved ones.  For many individuals in the United States, language, ethnic and cultural barriers make this conversation even more difficult. It is estimated that only about 20 percent of people in the United States have executed an advance directive.  Moreover, it is estimated that less than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an advance directive. The ability to make health care decisions that honor the wishes of older Americans is vitally important. Older Americans and their families need to be empowered with the tools necessary to make critical choices and decisions with regard to medical care and end of life care.

AoA and the aging services network have been actively involved in raising public awareness on the importance of advance planning for older Americans and their families. In June 2007, AoA joined Aging with Dignity, the United Health Foundation and other leading aging and health organizations to launch the 500,000 Wishes National Call to Action Campaign. The campaign featured the Five Wishes planning tool for long term living that helps people make important personal care decisions that address their medical, personal, emotional and spiritual needs before a health crisis occurs. On April 9, Aging with Dignity and the United Health Foundation received the National Healthcare Consumer Advocacy Award for the 500,000 Wishes Campaign because of the significant impact it has made on the health care consumer.  To receive copies of Five Wishes now available in 20 languages, individuals may request them online at www.agingwithdignity.org or by calling 888-594-7437.

AoA and its aging services network have been on the frontlines of promoting advance planning. For example, South Carolina has developed a Planning for Your Long-Term Care Needs curriculum which includes topics such as Selecting a Health Care Power of Attorney, the Adult Health Care Consent Act, and the importance of creating Wills and Letters of Last Instruction. This training curriculum has been well received by local Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) and has been extremely helpful when providing options counseling which tailors long term care information for each individual consumer.  This comprehensive training curriculum has been placed on the ADRC Technical Assistance Website which can be found at http://adrc-tae.org/tiki-index.php?page=PublicHomePage, which has allowed other states and ADRCs to customize it for their respective state.

Also, the Hospice Institute of the Florida Suncoast, funded by the Administration on Aging, has developed materials and training programs to address end of life issues in a way that enriches caregivers’ lives and gives them the tools to assist their care recipients in finding meaning, peace and closure in the last years of life.

Legal services provided through the aging network also help older Americans and their families to execute tools designed to facilitate heath care decision making. Over 1,000 OAA-funded legal services providers nationwide provide legal assistance for older persons in the drafting of advance directives and the designation of surrogate decision makers who will carry out their wishes if they become incapacitated.