LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital will host its monthly Chronic Illness/Stroke Support Group on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the hospital conference room.

Refreshments will be provided.

Guest speaker Dr. Shilpa Shashidhara, PhD, will present information on advance health care directives. 

Dr. Shashidhara is a bioethicist who provides professional guidance for patients preparing an advance directive, and is highly educated in clinical ethics.

An advance directive helps a patient assert his or her health care wishes should he or she become too ill to communicate his or her decision. 

An advance health care directive can appoint a power of attorney for health care or instructions for health care to make the patient’s wishes known, or both, according to the California Coalition for Compassionate Care.

A person of any age should have an advance health care directive, according to Honoring Choices Napa Valley.

Because an accident, health care crisis, or other unforeseen event can happen to anyone, it’s important that a patient’s wishes be known.

“We will have advance directives on hand and offer participants direct support in how to fill it out, as well as facilitate discussion about how to discuss health care wishes concerning do not resuscitate orders, feeding tubes, etc.,” said Nikki Bullock, A.C.S.W., medical social worker for Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

For questions about the support group, please contact Nikki Bullock by phone at 707-264-9492 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .