For the past three years, the Cayuga County Human Services Coalition has been participating in the Sharing Your Wishes project, developed with the support of the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York. The project spreads awareness about the importance of planning ahead for health care decisions through family conversations and advanced care planning. National Health Care Decisions Day is Wednesday, April 16, with a main mission to encourage everyone to express their wishes regarding health care.
Having conversations with family members and completing advance directive documents helps individuals state what is important to them and helps them receive the health care they want when they are unable to make their own health care decisions.
We may think that only the elderly, or chronically ill, need to take action, however, health care proxy forms are for everyone. Examples abound on just how these can be beneficial.
A few years ago news on Terry Schiavo, who was only 26 when a brief lack of oxygen left her severely brain-damaged for 15 years. Her husband and parents fought over whether or not to continue her artificial nutrition.
From a parent: “My 25-year-old son was hospitalized after a car accident. The first three days were touch-and-go on life support - the hospital staff would give me no information. On waking, he signed a release. During the next few weeks of his hospitalization, as he went in and out of consciousness, I was able to work with his physicians to plan his care.”
From a hospital: During surgery a patient needed a blood transfusion. Because there was no health care agent designated to make a prompt decision, it took time to track down an administrator who made the decision without knowing if the patient had religious or other objections to this procedure.
Nationwide, less than 25 percent of Americans have expressed these thoughts in writing. While future health care decisions are often difficult to talk about with your loved ones, it is important to start the conversation. It's no secret that Americans are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, but many will experience serious chronic illness or disability during their life. At some point, it becomes difficult or impossible to continue to make ones own health decisions. Because of this, it's important that people plan in advance.
You might think that your spouse or child will be able to make these decisions. However, in New York state if you do not have a health care proxy or a health care directive in place, family members do not have the authority to make your health care decisions. Even if you have verbally expressed your wishes, these instructions must be in writing. Without this, decisions will be made by physicians or for life-sustaining treatment by a court of law.
For many families, not being able to make the final health care decisions for a loved one can place a heavy burden on everyone. Even if it is never necessary for someone to make life-sustaining treatment decisions, a health care proxy is important to have in place for any time when you are unable to make a decision for yourself. This is very important for those suffering from dementia or recovering from a stroke, as they may be unable to make or communicate their wishes for even common health care procedures.
It is not easy to talk about how you want to live at the last phase of life, and it is not easy to think about a time when you may not be able to speak for yourself. This causes many people to put off the conversation until a health care crisis forces decisions.
The best time to begin talking is now, before a crisis arises and while you are able to share with your loved ones what is important to you. Not only will this greatly reduce the uncertainty and anxiety for those who care about you, but you can provide them with directions about the things that are important to you. Also by planning ahead you have the opportunity to think about the choices you may face before the decisions need to be made. When a difficult time does arise, your family members will have peace of mind, and not be faced with tough choices.
Planning ahead for health care decisions can and should happen long before a crisis occurs. This can be done through four easy steps:
• Think about what is important to you and how you want to receive care
• Select a person to speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself
• Talk about your health care wishes
• Put your choices in writing using the New York State Health Care Proxy form
The Human Services Coalition has partnered with the Cayuga County Long Term Care Office and the Office For The Aging to provide Sharing Your Wishes materials and health care proxy forms to community members in Cayuga County. While the choices and conversations might not be easy, when it comes to making end-of-life decisions, take matters into your own hands and share your wishes.
Janet Taylor, Office For The Aging, and Barbara Bowen, administrator for the Cayuga County Human Services Coalition, collaborated together on this article.
We may think that only the elderly, or chronically ill, need to take action, however, health care proxy forms are for everyone. Examples abound on just how these can be beneficial.
A few years ago news on Terry Schiavo, who was only 26 when a brief lack of oxygen left her severely brain-damaged for 15 years. Her husband and parents fought over whether or not to continue her artificial nutrition.
From a parent: “My 25-year-old son was hospitalized after a car accident. The first three days were touch-and-go on life support - the hospital staff would give me no information. On waking, he signed a release. During the next few weeks of his hospitalization, as he went in and out of consciousness, I was able to work with his physicians to plan his care.”
From a hospital: During surgery a patient needed a blood transfusion. Because there was no health care agent designated to make a prompt decision, it took time to track down an administrator who made the decision without knowing if the patient had religious or other objections to this procedure.
Nationwide, less than 25 percent of Americans have expressed these thoughts in writing. While future health care decisions are often difficult to talk about with your loved ones, it is important to start the conversation. It's no secret that Americans are living longer and healthier lives than ever before, but many will experience serious chronic illness or disability during their life. At some point, it becomes difficult or impossible to continue to make ones own health decisions. Because of this, it's important that people plan in advance.
You might think that your spouse or child will be able to make these decisions. However, in New York state if you do not have a health care proxy or a health care directive in place, family members do not have the authority to make your health care decisions. Even if you have verbally expressed your wishes, these instructions must be in writing. Without this, decisions will be made by physicians or for life-sustaining treatment by a court of law.
For many families, not being able to make the final health care decisions for a loved one can place a heavy burden on everyone. Even if it is never necessary for someone to make life-sustaining treatment decisions, a health care proxy is important to have in place for any time when you are unable to make a decision for yourself. This is very important for those suffering from dementia or recovering from a stroke, as they may be unable to make or communicate their wishes for even common health care procedures.
It is not easy to talk about how you want to live at the last phase of life, and it is not easy to think about a time when you may not be able to speak for yourself. This causes many people to put off the conversation until a health care crisis forces decisions.
The best time to begin talking is now, before a crisis arises and while you are able to share with your loved ones what is important to you. Not only will this greatly reduce the uncertainty and anxiety for those who care about you, but you can provide them with directions about the things that are important to you. Also by planning ahead you have the opportunity to think about the choices you may face before the decisions need to be made. When a difficult time does arise, your family members will have peace of mind, and not be faced with tough choices.
Planning ahead for health care decisions can and should happen long before a crisis occurs. This can be done through four easy steps:
• Think about what is important to you and how you want to receive care
• Select a person to speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself
• Talk about your health care wishes
• Put your choices in writing using the New York State Health Care Proxy form
The Human Services Coalition has partnered with the Cayuga County Long Term Care Office and the Office For The Aging to provide Sharing Your Wishes materials and health care proxy forms to community members in Cayuga County. While the choices and conversations might not be easy, when it comes to making end-of-life decisions, take matters into your own hands and share your wishes.
Janet Taylor, Office For The Aging, and Barbara Bowen, administrator for the Cayuga County Human Services Coalition, collaborated together on this article.
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