Making Your Healthcare Wishes Known – Caroline Dawson
On a daily basis, clients and family members express to us what they do or don’t want: goals they want to achieve, treatments they want to pursue or avoid and “What if?” questions they are considering. As advocates our role often includes addressing these goals and needs. When a client directly expresses a healthcare wish, my next question is: “Is that documented in a Health Care Power of Attorney or Advanced Directive?” Followed closely by: “Who else in your life knows your wishes.”
Fortunately there is a free and easily accessible resource for these conversations with yourself, or your loved ones.
The Center for Practical Bioethics has a free resource called Caring Conversations and provides a free download of The Caring Conversations® Workbook. Here you will find:
Caring Conversations
Caring Conversations for Young Adults
Healthcare Directives:
Healthcare Directive/Durable Power of Attorney, English
Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Form (Kansas)
Witnessing Rules for Advance Directives in Missouri and Kansas
My clients often hear me say “There is no crystal ball.” These are conversations that bring clarity to our healthcare desires and ultimately let our loved ones know what we want when we may face a health care crisis. These documents are also to be shared with your physicians. They will help guide your care to be inline with your desires. Without the documents, family and physicians are left guessing what you would want and will be obligated to take life saving measures that may not align with what you would want.
Looking for more insight for choosing the right power of attorney. Look here for 5 Top Questions to Consider when Choosing a Power of Attorney. It is an important decision for a very important person. You.