ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — You plan for big milestones … like birthdays, graduations, weddings, but what about for death? If you experience a catastrophic accident or illness that leaves you unconscious or unable to communicate, do your loved ones know what your wishes are? Ivanhoe has details on how you can make sure they do.
In the U.S., it’s a taboo topic to talk about.
“Other cultures talk about dying. It’s a normal thing of life,” explained Pam Wald, a Compassion & Choices supporter.
But not talking about wants and wishes for end-of-life care now, can lead to big problems later. An advance directive is a series of documents that allows a person to express their care wishes and appoint a healthcare proxy to make decisions on their behalf if they’re unable to. But among terminally ill patients, fewer than 50 percent had advance directives. So, what should you know about advance directives? Well first, include a living will to decide what medical interventions, such as resuscitation, a feeding tube, or dialysis are acceptable. Also, states handle advance directives differently, so you may want to consult a lawyer and …
“It’s good to review it every year,” shared Pam.
Since advance directives can be updated or even canceled. This could all help you get the care you deserve.
If you have an advance directive, make sure to give a copy to your doctor and other relevant medical healthcare providers. Between 65 and 76 percent of doctors were not aware some of their patients had an advance directive.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; and Roque Correa, Editor.
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES FOR DYING YOUR WAY!
REPORT #2881
BACKGROUND: A legal document that allows you to spell out your decisions about end-of-life care is referred to as an advance directive. They give you a way to tell your wishes to family, friends, and health care professionals as to avoid confusion down the road. A living will tells which treatments you want if you are dying or permanently unconscious. You can accept or refuse medical care and may want to include instructions on: the use of dialysis and breathing machines; if you want to be resuscitated if your breathing or heartbeat stops; tube feeding; organ or tissue donation. A durable power of attorney for health care is a document that names your health care proxy, or someone you trust to make health decisions for you if you are unable to do so.
(Source: https://medlineplus.gov/advancedirectives.html)
WHO SHOULD HAVE AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE?: Most people think an advance directive is only for those who are very sick or old, which is not the case. It’s essential for anyone who is 18 years or older. Some, not all, states have laws to cover a patient who hasn’t designated someone to make health care decisions. Such laws contain a “priority listing” of those who can make decisions for an incapacitated patient. But, in some states, those decisions may be limited to withholding or withdrawing treatment. They may not give the necessary authority to protect a patient. In other states, the law gives doctors the power to decide for patients if there are conflicts among those on the list. To be certain that a person you trust will be making decisions for you if you can’t do so yourself, you must have a durable power of attorney for health care that specifically names that person. It gives the person you name to make your health care decisions the authority to act on your behalf. That person is generally referred to as your “agent.”
(Source: https://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/do-you-need-an-advance-directive/)
PLANNING FOR END-OF-LIFE: The COVID-19 virus has been a harsh reminder “that things can change in a minute — and so you’ve got to be prepared,” says Sunita Puri, medical director for palliative care at the Keck Medical Center at the University of Southern California. One of the ways to do this is to decide what sorts of treatments you would want, or don’t want, in the case you became critically ill, and then document those wishes and share them with loved ones. As a doctor, “you always want your recommendations to be in alignment with what the patient would want, what their values are, what their preferences are,” says Trevor Bibler, a faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. The first step to take is to complete an advance directive form for your state. This is a form that allows you essentially to check boxes about what kind of life-sustaining interventions you want or do not want and are legally recognized documents. Pam Wald emphasizes that lawyers are not required: “When people hear that you need to contact a lawyer, it can become an obstacle to following through. An advance directive does not require a signature from a lawyer.”
* For More Information, Contact:
Pam Wald, Public Relations
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