**Full Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
April 16th is National Healthcare Decisions Day – A day set aside to encourage all of us to discuss important advance planning health care wishes. It’s an opportunity to begin the process of documenting those wishes as part of routine care before a stressful health crisis arises. National Healthcare Decisions Day: Taking the Time to Plan was written by Dr. Elizabeth Glazier, Geriatric Specialist at South Texas Cardiovascular Consultants located in San Antonio.
I never knew National Healthcare Decisions Day was a ‘thing’ but it seems like a great time to assess and re-assess the decisions you’ve made regarding your healthcare.
It can be tough to get started and it may even feel a bit awkward but powerful conversations with family members today can ensure end-of-life care preferences are honored and reduce stress and uncertainty in the future.
My parents have prepared all of their end-of-life decisions. And while I didn’t have any say in their choices, my parents have planned and paid for their after-life plans. When they told me they’d taken care of these things, it was incredibly uncomfortable. But knowing that my sister and I don’t have to make some of those heart-wrenching decisions will make it so much easier in the long run.
More than 90% of the people think it’s important to talk about their loved ones’ and their own wishes for end-of-life care, but fewer than 30% of people have actually had the conversation. Many people simply haven’t gotten around to taking the necessary steps to crystallize what they want and to formalize it.
My husband and I fall in both of the percentages above. We know that it’s important to talk about what we want but we haven’t actually talked about it!
How to Get Started:
- Think about what’s important to you – Who would you prefer to make decisions on your behalf with your physicians if you could not? How sure are you of your choices? Do you want your chosen proxy to have leeway to change your decisions? Now you are ready to discuss these topics with your loved ones to reach a shared understanding of your desires.
- Talk to your loved ones – Honest communication can help families avoid the stress of guessing what a family member would have wanted. Be open with each other and focus on really understanding the views of those you love. You may find that you and your loved ones may see some things differently. That’s okay. Talk through it, listen and keep an open mind.
- Make it official – Once you’ve had the conversation, formalize your decisions by putting them in writing. There are several ways. An advance directive can help describe your medical wishes when you no longer can. Special medical orders can be developed with your doctor. Finally, a health care proxy identifies your health care agent—the person you trust to act on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions or communicate your wishes.
- Get help – You can find valuable resources to help you think through these issues and make decisions more manageable at www.optumcare.com and theconversationproject.org.
- Take advantage of National Healthcare Decisions Day – April 16th – and re-evaluate your choices every year.
Leave a Reply