The month of April is Whole Health Month. Whole Health is VA’s approach to health care. The Whole Health concept, which emphasizes “what matters to you” and not “what is the matter with you,” takes center stage throughout April. Whole Health starts with the individual and is based on advance care planning and directives according to personal values and preferences. 

Advance directives help surrogates and health care teams understand what medical and mental health care patients want if they are too sick at the time to make those decisions themselves. To access “What You Should Know about Advance Directives,” a useful document in the examination of what matters most in medical decision making, click here.