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Cake and the Providence Institute for Human Caring Release Trusted Decision Maker Form
Boston Mass., April 13, 2020 — Cake (joincake.com), the leading digital platform for end-of-life planning, partnered with the Providence Institute for Human Caring (instituteforhumancaring.org) to release a Trusted Decision Maker Form. This form is a quick, effective way for users to communicate health-care preferences with doctors and loved ones.
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Because it is not possible for most people to access a notary, witnesses, or even a printer during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trusted Decision Maker Form is the next best thing to a formal advance directive. The form takes minutes to complete. Patients who’ve identified a trusted decision maker can help ease the way for frontline doctors and nurses. Featuring only two questions, this form will be taken into account by doctors when making medical decisions.
Leading palliative care physicians Ira Byock, M.D. and Matthew Gonzales, M.D. of the Institute for Human Caring developed this form to simplify the medical-planning process amid today’s changing social landscape. The institute is part of Providence, the nation’s third-largest health system, serving more than 5 million patients. By partnering with Cake, Providence ensures the Trusted Decision Maker Form has an even larger reach.
Though not a legal document, this form was highly vetted to ensure it will be taken into account when it matters most. "If you do not have an advance directive, this document is the next best thing,” Dr. Byock said. “It conveys information that may be crucial for clinicians and family members to consider in the future and will be taken seriously by a clinical team.”
While the need for notaries and witnesses can be challenging under normal circumstances, offering the choice of naming a Trusted Decision Maker is an innovative solution. Both Cake and the Providence Institute for Human Caring are serving those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They hope this form eases the way for patients and providers during these uncertain times.
To access the Trusted Decision Maker Form, visit JoinCake.com. The form is free to download.
Contact
Suelin Chen, CEO and Co-Founder
Cake
(617) 512-1592
suelin@joincake.com
About Cake
Cake (joincake.com) is the largest platform for navigating mortality, serving millions of people each year. With over 1,000 articles and interactive planning tools, Cake is a one-stop-shop for all aspects of death and end-of-life including healthcare, funerals, financial and legal concerns, making meaning in your life, and curating your digital legacy. Founded by a Harvard-trained palliative care physician and an MIT engineer, Cake is a venture-backed company that is trusted by a variety of organizations in healthcare, financial services, and insurance.  For more information, please visit www.joincake.com
About the Providence Institute for Human Caring
At the Providence Institute for Human Caring, we create ways for patients and loved ones to partner with caregivers to achieve highly personalized, world-class care. With 51 hospitals, 829 physician clinics, senior services, supportive housing, and many other health and educational services, Providence, based in Renton, Wash., and Irvine, Calif., employs more than 119,000 caregivers across seven Western states. Visit InstituteForHumanCaring.org