"Now is the Time to Talk"

  Rose Koerber, LBSW

Do your family members know how to answer the tough medical decisions they would be asked, if you were in an accident or incapacited by a serious illness?  Have you or they, been avoiding this important conversation?  Now is the time to do some reflective thinking about your life, what is important to you, and how you would wish for your health care needs to be responded to in the case of serious life and death decisions.  Making the time to share with your loved ones your beliefs and wishes will provide you both with peace of mind, and for them a confidence that they are acting as you would if you were able to.

            Health care has changed drastically; fifty years ago we did not have to make decisions about CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), artificial feeding and hydration, dialysis, chemotherapy, transfusions, ventilators, organ transplants and many other procedures or treatments that can be provided today.  Living and dying have both grown much more complicated in our society.  Today many people die in an institution, often as the result of someone’s decision about medicine or technology… antibiotics refused, feeding tubes not started, and respirators removed.

            There are legal documents that can assist you and your loved ones in documenting your health care wishes, and stating who you trust to answer those difficult questions that your health care provider may be asking.  The Living Will, or Health Care Directive, and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions are the documents commonly used in health care settings.  The Living Will briefly states that if I was in a terminal state I do not wish for my life to be artificially prolonged; a Health Care Directive is not limited to a terminal illness, and has more specifics listed; a Durable Power Of Attorney for Health Care Decisions names the people you want to make health care decisions if you lose decisional capacity. It is not necessary to have all three of these documents.  The Social Worker at Cloud County Health Center would be glad to assist you in answering questions and completing the documents, as would your attorney.  The documents are intended to communicate your wishes and then need to be shared with loved ones and health care providers (your physician and hospital).

            Today in hospitals across the nation, families from all backgrounds are gathered in emergency and hospital rooms facing hard decisions about someone they love.  Will they know how to decide?  Did they sit down with their loved one long before any health care crisis arrived to have that important talk?  Please give your loved ones the gift of knowing your wishes, so that they can answer with as much confidence and peace of mind as is possible when tough decisions come.