Planning ahead helps Veterans take control of future care

Bay Pines VA offers advance care planning workshops

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System is helping enrolled Veterans take control of future healthcare decisions through Advance Care Planning workshops designed to ensure their wishes are known and respected if they are ever unable to speak for themselves.

The workshops, offered at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Campus the first and third Wednesday of each month and Lee County Healthcare Center the first Tuesday of each month, provide Veterans and their loved ones with education, resources and support to complete advance directives and discuss healthcare preferences before a medical crisis occurs.

“Advance care planning is the ability to take control over your healthcare decision-making and align those decisions with your values,” said Denyse Wilkins, Bay Pines VA social work supervisor for specialty care clinics. “When you align your values with your healthcare decision-making, your family, healthcare providers and VA know what to do if you are ever in a medical crisis.”

Wilkins said one of the biggest challenges is helping Veterans understand why advance care planning matters.

“It’s not just a legal document,” she said. “It’s about making sure your loved ones understand your wishes and don’t have to make difficult decisions during a crisis without guidance.”

Bay Pines VA introduced the Advance Care Planning workshop program in November 2025 as part of a national initiative aimed at helping Veterans make informed healthcare decisions. The one-time workshop allows Veterans and their loved ones to learn about advance directives, discuss personal values and share experiences in a supportive environment.

“VA puts the Veteran first, and this program certainly aligns with our mission regarding Veteran-centered care,” said Pamela Zavala, Bay Pines VA Patient Aligned Care Team social work supervisor. “It gives Veterans a voice and encourages them to advocate for their wishes.”

Why it’s important

For Army Veteran Marvin Dalzell, the workshop provided an opportunity to revisit advance directives he and his wife completed years ago. “We had prepared our own advance care directives before, but they were out of date,” Dalzell said. “The workshop gave us updated information and helped us bring everything current.”

Dalzell said personal experiences with the deaths of his parents motivated him to update his plans.

“Going through my father’s passing and my mother’s passing left me with a lot of questions because things were not discussed beforehand,” he said. “I decided I needed to set a plan for what I wanted for myself.”

His wife, Cathy, recalled facing difficult decisions without clear guidance during her own mother’s final days.

“You’re caught up in the emotions of what is happening, and then you have to make this horrible decision,” she said. “You didn’t know what she wanted. I don’t want that to happen to my family.”

After working with VA social workers and discussing his wishes with family members, Dalzell updated documents and identified trusted people to make healthcare decisions on his behalf if needed. “Now I’ve looked at what I would like done for my healthcare and who I trust to take care of my needs,” he said. “It gives me peace of mind knowing that what I would like done will be done and the people I trust will be overseeing it.”

For Veterans who may be hesitant to start the conversation, Dalzell offers simple advice. “The social workers at VA are very kind, very compassionate and informative,” he said. “They don’t push. They guide you. This program gives you peace of mind in an area that is extremely uncomfortable to think about.”

By helping Veterans document their wishes before a crisis occurs, Bay Pines VA is ensuring Veterans remain at the center of their healthcare decisions.