That’s right, the beginning of a new year and the accompanying reflections of what the future holds is the perfect time to tell family and friends your healthcare preferences in case one day you are unable to speak for yourself. This is called advance care planning and it is good to do for your peace of mind and for your loved ones too.
Studies show that people who have conversations about their end-of-life preferences are much more likely to be satisfied with the care received, and their caregivers are less likely to suffer from depression or be left wondering if they made the right decisions for their loved ones.
The reality is that the majority of those nearing end of life are often unable to make decisions for themselves. Yet a recent poll found that only half of Canadians had discussed their wishes with family or friends — and only 10 per cent had discussed the topic with healthcare providers.
So here are four steps to help guide conversations about your advance care plan:
1. Reflect on what makes life meaningful for you
What do you value most about your physical and mental health? For many people, this includes independence, interacting with family and friends and favourite hobbies. Now imagine what might make life unacceptable for you.
Modern medicine can and will prolong life in many cases. But it can also mean prolonging the end of life and may require living with severe limitations, such as reduced mental capacity, loss of ability to control bodily functions, lack of mobility and loss of privacy. This is unacceptable to many people; one study found that over half of seriously-ill patients in hospital would rather not be kept alive on life support when there is little hope for a meaningful recovery.
Advance care planning is typically thought about in the context of advanced age or specific diagnoses such as cancer. However, it is important for everybody to do, and particularly, for those with multiple medical problems and frailty. While frailty increases with age, it can occur at any age and increases the chances of dying. Although catastrophic illness can occur at any time, frailty increases the likelihood that end of life is nearing and when life prolonging procedures may not be appropriate or effective.
While many people reaching the end of life say they want to die at home, without an advance care plan, they are often trapped in hospital enduring heroic procedures rather than receiving comfort care during the little time they might have left. Comfort care includes pain and symptom management to prevent or relieve suffering at the end of life.
2. Find out your care options and choose a substitute decision maker
Learning about care procedures for end of life will help inform your advance care plan. You can find some common medical and legal terms at advancecareplanning.ca. Also, talk to your doctor.
Many sick or elderly people worry about being a burden to their families. The good news is that patients who have end-of-life conversations place less of a strain on caregivers and are more likely to receive hospice care or palliative support at home.
Think about and designate a substitute decision maker. This is someone you trust to make healthcare decisions based on your wishes in the event you cannot make them.
To view the full article, please visit Huffington Post Canada.
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