Healthcare Decision Making

Recently my step dad was having chest pain that lingered for days, and this can often be a sign that a heart attack is close. Luckily he got into the cardiologist and a stent was placed, as he had over 90% blockage. The days in between were scary for our family, as was the fear of the worst potential.

Unfortunately my parents haven’t really spoken of any wishes, plans, etc. I hated to be the one to bring these things up at such a difficult time, but this is the time when it’s important to know.

Please don’t wait until there is a major health event, have the difficult talk soon, this helps you, your loved ones, and healthcare team.

Here are a few things to consider from The Living Planner, a local resource and book.

Advance Care Planning – A process for setting goals and plans with respect to medical care and treatments. It requires conversations between the individual and his or her family, key health care providers, and anyone else who may be involved in decision-making. It can begin at any point in a person’s life, regardless of his or her current health state and, ideally, is documented in an advance directive or recorded in your medical record, revisited periodically, and becomes more specific as your health status changes.

Health Care Advance Directive – The general term for any document in which you provide instructions about your health care wishes or appoint someone to make medical treatment decisions for you when you are no longer able to make them for yourself. Living wills and durable powers of attorney for health care are both types of health care advance directives.
Living Will – A type of advance directive in which you state your wishes about care and treatment you want or don’t want if you are no longer able to speak for yourself. Normally, living wills address one’s preferences about end-of-life medical treatments, but they can also communicate your wishes, values, or goals about any other aspect of your care and treatment.

While this can be overwhelming, know that you always go back and update or change things.

Other things to consider