Presented on April 12, 2016

The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, often called the ERDs or the Directives, is the document that offers moral guidance, drawn from the Catholic Church's theological and moral teachings, on various aspects of health care delivery. The Directives, issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, discuss Catholic health care’s social, pastoral and spiritual responsibility, the professional-patient relationship, issues in care for at beginning of life and care for the seriously ill and dying. It also provides guidance on forming partnerships with other health care organizations.

In this webinar, Father Charles Bouchard OP, S.T.D., CHA senior director of theology and ethics, reviews the ERDs – their purpose and content and their underlying principles. He also describes how they apply to long-term care and aging services and discusses common ethical issues in long-term care and how the ERDs addresses these issues.