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Heart2Hearts®: Advance Care Planning

Heart2Hearts®: Deck of Cards (1st Edition - 2nd Edition out of stock)

"How do I start a conversation about my end-of-life healthcare wishes?" "This is really uncomfortable." "What should I say?" These questions were asked over and over again by patients. As a result, the Heart2Hearts® deck of cards were invented in order to provide 52 conversation starters. You may find that you want to use them to play poker or as a regular deck of cards. Be prepared to have the most meaningful Heart2Hearts® conversation of your life. A few sample cards:

"Games" You Can Play with Heart2Hearts®:

Play "Why?"

Shuffle the deck and pick one card. Read your card out loud to your family. Answer the question and explain why you feel this way.

Play "Who, What and Why?"

Shuffle the deck and deal a card to everyone in your family. Ask each family member to identify who should answer the question on the card. Have the reader explain what he/she hopes to learn by asking this question and why this family member was chosen. Have the family member answer the question.

Play "Find My Favorite"

Lay out all the cards on the table face up. Identify which favorite ones you want to answer/discuss prior to interacting with your family. Practice saying them to yourself before sitting down with your family. When comfortable, read your card to your family member and share your feelings.

Cost: $14.99 per deck, plus shipping and tax (Ohio only). Card backs can be customized with your logo and colors in quantities of 500 or more decks.

Heart2Hearts®: The Workbook (2nd Edition)

"Why Not Start the Conversation Now?"
Illness, death and dying are not topics that we like to broach How do we even begin to confront these issues? Heart2Hearts®: The Workbook makes starting the most important conversation of your life easier. By completing this innovative workbook and discussing it with your loved ones, you will give them a priceless gift...peace of mind. They will know your wishes and can follow them if you cannot make healthcare decisions for yourself.

In this workbook you will discover how easy it is to:

Overcome your fears

Discover your feelings regarding your loved ones

Improve the communication with those you love

Share where you keep important financial and legal documents

Determine what is important to your quality of life

Ensure that loved ones will follow your wishes

Two sample pages (click for PDF download):

Listen to what people are saying about Heart2Hearts®: The Workbook:

"I am so delighted with the cards and workbook. These are what I have been looking for for ages. Something real...with some medical situations...and the workbook is a must have. I love that you have used all the important questions and more."
- Annie Whitlocke, ACP Department, Monash Medical Centre, Australia

"Lisa Newburger has approached an extremely sensitive issue in a way that fosters openness and candid conversation. Her passion for helping and guiding people in making difficult life decisions is woven throughout this much needed book."
- Dennis F. Schwartz, First VP-Investments at The WealthCare Group of Raymond James and Associates, Inc.

"The Heart2Hearts® cards and accompanying materials bring a much needed and welcome opportunity to address difficult moments in coping with serious and significant illness. It is rare to find a tool so provocative, sensitive and relevant to the issues surrounding end-of-life care. Vital and inspirational, this program is clearly a must-have that every medical practice will embrace."
- Kenneth S. Harris, Practice Administrator at Guthrie Clinic, Ithaca, NY

"This workbook empowers patients to determine the care they want at the end of their lives. It is an excellent tool to improve communication with both family members and healthcare professionals."
- Renee Mallett, JD, MSN, MBA, RN, Director of Patient Safety at The Ohio State University Medical Center

"Working with patients and their families in ICUs for more than 20 years, I have seen how communication is definitely the key. It is hard when no one knows who should be the decision maker. When these specific topics have been discussed in advance, it is so much easier for everyone. I like this workbook because it makes some very difficult topics easier to approach. Lisa asks the tough questions and helps guide the person through to the answers. With these issues dealt with, everyone's energy can be spent on how to make the most of whatever time is left with their loved ones."
- Katina Nicolacakis, M.D., Pulmonologist at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

"This workbook is an extremely valuable tool for both clients and their professional advisors. We should all make the time to use it as it will help communicate to your family your healthcare desires."
- Geoffrey E. Webster J.D., Chair, Health Care Group at Chester Willcox & Saxbe, LLP

Cost: $29.99 per workbook, plus shipping and tax (Ohio only).

See other editions of Heart2Hearts®.

What are Advance Directives?

Advance directives are legal documents that express your health care wishes should you be unable to make decisions for yourself due to illness or injury. The most commonly used directives are:

A Living Will contains your written wishes for the health care you want to receive if you become terminally ill or are in a permanently unconscious state and cannot make your wishes known.

A Power of Attorney for Health Care allows you to authorize an adult to make health care decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so.

"Due to the quality and highly relevant content, especially for my work in community and acute care; I continue to order these handy cards. I respect that Lisa asks the difficult questions to get to the pointy end of the matter."

Annie Whitlocke, Pastoral Care, Mindful Meditation instructor
Acute Care and Oncology, Australia

"Her creative method of teaching was inspiring to me both professionally & personally. We need an advocate to bring these choices to light! Lisa Newburger is the one to do it! If you haven't witnessed her first hand, call or write her today. You can be sure that, because of her, my husband & I are going to have time with our 4 children at Christmas to discuss the choices we have made & how they can help to carry them out."

Kate Oches Social Worker/Spiritual Counselor
Appalachian Community Visiting Nurses & Hospice & Health Services

"This program helps people ask the critical questions it takes to exert control over their destiny. In a world filled with uncertainty, this is no small thing."

Patrice Rancour, MS, RN, PMHCNS-BC
Wellness Manager, OSU Health Plan

"Lisa has come up with the most brilliant way to help people discuss the delicate issue of advance directives. Her 'Heart2Hearts' cards are a wonderful way to help people broach the subjects they'd rather avoid and have a good time in the process! Every household in America needs these cards!! If you don't have them, get them...PRONTO!"

Kay Frances, MBA, America's Funniest Stress Management Specialist

"A safe and clever way to promote vital conversations at the end of life. Heart2Hearts® is an incredibly effective way to jump-start 'the difficult conversation."

Doug Cluxton, MA, LPC, VP of Education at Ohio Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

"My four adult sons brought out the Heart2Hearts® cards to play blackjack as they sat around for family time at the kitchen table. As the game began, one of the boys said, 'Mom, if you get an infection should we kill you?...Wait, WHAT? Mom, what are these things?' That's when it got interesting. I explained the purpose of the cards and they began to read the questions. Although the conversation started in jest, it quickly turned as difficult subjects were introduced and feelings and opinions were voiced. Thank you for this great solution, I wish I had been able to have the frank discussions with my parents before we were 'living' the issues."

Bev Waters Shankman, Executive Director at Healthy Ohio Cities

"Getting people to talk about their end of life wishes with their family can be one of the most difficult tasks I face as a Hospice Social Worker. But, the Heart2Hearts® card game has proven to be an excellent catalyst in initiating conversations between patients and family members. As a result, family members feel more comfortable discussing their loved-one's wishes, and patients tend to be more candid. I am so glad to have Heart2Hearts® in my tool box for working with patients and families."

Lisa Haberbusch, MSW, LISW-S Director of Support Services, Hospice of North Central Ohio

"Heart2Hearts® product saves people pain and grief when decision making is critical."

William Lewis, Director of Business Development, McGregor PACE