We hope that this year, on National Healthcare Decisions Day, you take a few minutes to make sure that the healthcare professionals and family in your life know your specific end-of-life wishes. We hope that this year, we can convince families, even if it is just one, to take the time to complete an Advanced Directive. While some people may not think they need this document yet as they are young and/or healthy, I would say to them that it is never too early to start making these decisions!

 

Here at Bellomo & Associates, we use a document called a Health Care Directive, which is a healthcare power of attorney, and a living will in the same document. There are a few different forms available to you, either through our office or with your doctor. When you hear the term “Advanced Directive,” don’t let that confuse you, this is just the document that helps you communicate what you want in terms of end-of-life care,

 

An Advanced Directive is used when someone is in an end-stage medical condition where two or more doctors have agreed that the individual is in a permanently unconscious, terminally ill, vegetative, or comatose state where there is no realistic hope of recovery. When this state occurs, the document provides answers for how the individual wishes to receive care for rest for the duration of their life. It answers questions about whether they would like extraordinary measures to be taken, and whether they would like to receive tube-feeding, and generally provides a guide for the agent (the individual appointed responsible when someone enters this end-stage medical state). There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, it just helps provide the family and decision-making individuals with peace of mind, knowing exactly what their loved ones want. It saves them from having to “Play God” and make all those difficult decisions.

 

In our workshops, we encourage attendees to complete their Healthcare Directives. There are other options such as a Five Wishes form, a POLST (Physician’s Order of Life Sustaining Treatment) form, or there is also a Life Sustaining Treatment form, which in my opinion, gives even more authority and detail than a general Advanced Directive. For others still, they may wish to take one step more and have a “Do not resuscitate,” or DNR on their file.

 

I do not have strong opinions about which one is the best or which one will work for you or your family, as it is a very personal decision. The most important thing is that you take the time today, on National Healthcare Decisions Day, to reflect on what you want, and get one of these documents in place. Your family will thank you later when they do not have to guess what to do, or which decision is the correct.

 

Happy National Healthcare Decisions Day!