At some point, you or a family member may be confronting a serious illness, injury or diagnosis. You may experience feelings that are uncomfortable, scary and difficult to talk about. If this happens, you want to make sure you have thought of everything ahead of time so that you’re able to continue making decisions for yourself.
It’s important to think about your options in advance and share your views with your loved ones. Then, when the time comes to make decisions, if you can’t decide for yourself, your loved ones will know that they are doing what you would have wanted.
What is advance care planning?
According to Barbara Gunning, advance care planning program director for the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio, advance care planning is the process of thinking ahead about what your health care wishes, values and goals would be if you become unable to speak for yourself. Expressing these wishes ahead of time allows your loved ones and medical team to make informed decisions based on your wishes should you ever not be able to communicate.
What are advance directives?
Advance directives are legal documents that provide instructions about your advanced care planning. These documents may include do not resuscitate orders, living wills and health care power of attorney. Your family and health care team are required by law to follow the instructions listed in your advance directives. Also, written instructions help reduce confusion, stress and disagreement among your loved ones and health care team.
Gunning shares her personal journey with advance care planning: “In 2018, I had the best conversation of my life with my mom when we went through advance care planning. Last month, my mom experienced an unexpected heart event and passed away a few weeks later. As her health care power of attorney, I was fortunate to have heard her firsthand wishes for health care if a time came when she could not communicate. My brothers and I supported her decisions, and we are at peace knowing that her wishes were honored.”
Don’t wait for a crisis to do advance care planning. Conversations around advance directives may be difficult with loved ones, but if you plan now, you can continue to receive the care that you would want, even if you can’t communicate it yourself.