Looking for ideas for planning for and promoting National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) in your community? We’ve pulled together some of our most frequently asked questions about planning for NHDD and created a roadmap with specific examples and resources to help provide answers.
Q: Where can I keep up to date on the latest resources that might help me for NHDD?
Our NHDD tab serves as a one-stop shop for all resources for NHDD. That landing page includes a short 90-second video “What is National Healthcare Decisions Day and how can I participate?” that you can download and use as you wish.
And, keep your eye on the What’s New tab on The Conversation Project (TCP)’s main website as we post any new resources here to help you think about and prepare for NHDD. Typically, we start sharing any new materials at the start of each year through April 16th , including an annual blog on the most recent activities and ideas we’ve heard from others who are gearing up and already planning for NHDD.
Q: Where can I find ideas for activities to host for NHDD? What activities have others found most effective?
One size does not fit all when it comes to which activities work best to spread the word about National Healthcare Decisions Day and support conversations within your community. What we can say with 100% certainty…there is no shortage of ideas to test out and try. Below is a roadmap to help you find ideas.
Bookmark: our Resources for Getting Started page for suggested activities, case studies, and tools you can use and adapt. Jump in and start to review all we have for you!
Review: the following compilations for specific ideas, with names of groups or individuals all over the country who have participated in NHDD across the last several years. Take a look and see what you think might resonate with those you hope to reach in your personal, social, or community circles:
- How to Get Involved in National Healthcare Decisions Day 2025: 15 Ideas to Inspire
- Planning for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2024: 8 Ideas to Spread the Word
- Ideas for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2023
- 5 Ideas to Help Promote National Healthcare Decisions Day Across Your Community (2022)
- Inspiring Conversations: 5 Ideas for National Healthcare Decisions Day 2021
- Ideas and Resources for National Healthcare Decisions Day: Join the Movement! (2020)
Read: the case studies on this page for additional detailed examples of how organizations have participated in NHDD in past years.
Listen: to our recordings and review the slides from our past annual NHDD community planning calls where teams have shared successful ideas and resources.
Join: this year’s National planning call in February, register here or listen to the call recording.
Q: Where can I learn more and who might I connect with in my area?
- This NHDD participation map offers contact details of those who have participated in NHDD in the past or are planning something currently across the US.
- View our Conversation Champions map to connect with others doing similar work in your area.
- Join our Conversation Champions Discussion Group, an online community of local leaders who are dedicated to spreading TCP’s initiative to ensure everyone, everywhere expresses their wishes through the end of life. And, use that group to ask questions and connect with others.
Q: How can we share our events with others and find out what other events may be out there?
- Join our Conversation Champions Discussion Group: post your events there and ask others what they might be planning.
- Join in and follow along on social media – many groups share using the hashtag #NHDD. Follow @convoproject and @NHDD, share your events and tag us
- Send us your events for us to include in our monthly newsletter and sign up so you receive it
- Share below in the comments of this blog!
Q: What other resources are available to share across my community?
Not only do we have a whole tab dedicated to everything NHDD, but there are so many amazing groups who have ready-made resources for you to use. Peruse this page here and scroll down to see State specific resources and links to over 25 additional groups dedicated to promoting conversations as well as ways to document wishes, and more. You’ll find links to resources for groups such as PREPARE for Your Care, Aging with Dignity (Five Wishes), My Directives, My Living Voice, and more.
Also, to make it easy, we pulled the below list of TCP resource links you can use and share easily to jump start conversations in April for NHDD (and beyond):
- 10 Ideas of Things to Do for National Healthcare Decisions Day (in 10 Minutes or Less)
- 25 Potential Resources to Share for National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)
You can also use and adapt the resources and images in our Communications Toolkit for Promoting NHDD, (updated yearly).
Again, one size does not fit all when it comes to resources to jump start conversations now for NHDD and always. Provide options for individuals to choose what, when, and how they might start these conversations, on their time and in their own comfort zone.
Thank you for all you do and please share your plans or thoughts below!
Want to keep connected to The Conversation Project for more ideas from other communities? Sign-up for our community engagement newsletter, follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube), and feel free to reach us at ConversationProject@ihi.org.