National Healthcare Decisions Day was this past Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t, or shouldn’t, be looking at starting the discussion about advance care planning with your loved ones and health care providers about your medical decisions in the event you were unable to speak for yourself.
Last week, we shared a small interview with a member of our team who helps patients walk through the advance care planning process. Today, we spin the microphone around and share a small interview with Laurie, a nurse who recently went through the process herself and the reasons she felt it was important to get one done.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
I have been a registered nurse (RN) for 35 years and I have worked at OSF HealthCare in an internal medicine/pediatrics office for the past 17 years. Although we take care of patients of all ages, my focus has always been with the elderly & aging population.
What prompted you to do advance care planning?
My commitment to advance care planning originates both professionally & personally. Through the years, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the patients – earning their trust and developing relationships with them. An important part of our roles as nurses is to provide support for the families of those patients who lose their physical and mental capabilities.
This loss of independence creates a stressful burden on the patient’s support system. Sadly, sometimes, there is no family or support. My goal is to educate the patients, decrease stress, relieve anxiety and help them to plan a more peaceful “end of life” scenario.
Advance care planning is not just for the elderly or ill patients, though. Unfortunately, tragedies occur at all ages. It is my hope that an advance care plan will help in some small way to assist the family with their grieving process. For example, many families can gain comfort in knowing that their loved one’s organs were donated.
On a more personal note, I’ve had three experiences sitting in the ICU waiting room with my grieving family. Sadly, we had to make the decision of exactly when to turn off the ventilator on three different family members. Those type of situations can create dissension among the grievers. Anxiety runs high as the goal of each individual family member is for their loved one to have a peaceful death. I’ve also watched my best friend die at home. That gave me a tremendous appreciation for hospice and all the support they provide, both emotionally and logistically, for the living.
Often, patients are hesitant to come in for that initial ACP visit. When we present this program to them during an office visit, they tend to look at us as if we are crazy for bringing up the morbid subject of death.
During the actual appointment for an advance care planning visit, we sit and talk privately. It is a quiet discussion with no time limit and no fee for the patient. It is my goal to educate the patient and family, alleviate their fears, provide peace of mind and eliminate stress. Often, we focus on the spiritual aspect and importance of faith in God. Sometimes we cry, sometimes we laugh and sometimes we hug.
What was it like to sit with a facilitator and have the plan put together?
It was comforting for my husband and I to put together a plan. Although it’s a topic we would rather not think about, it forced us to choose our own wishes and discuss them with each other.
While the ACP document is beneficial, the main goal is to decide on your own plan of care and relay that information to your loved ones. The most important aspect of an ACP is to choose one person to carry out your final wishes and make decisions for you when you can’t. For that to happen, there has to be trust and confidence in that person. These “end of life” discussions can involve topics such as organ donation, hospice care, dying at home and spiritual care.
What do you feel are the benefits of advance care planning?
The main benefit is ‘to honor the patient’s final wishes while decreasing stress on family members. The remaining family/friends recognize and honor the person you chose to make the final decisions for you. It allows the family to be more united, in focusing on grieving and the celebration of life. Family is reassured that these decisions are not made briefly or quickly. Decisions such as turning off a ventilator are made with input of specialist doctors who take care of the dying person.
Would you encourage friends and family to go through advance care planning?
Yes – I would encourage friends, family and patients I see to have an ACP done for all of the reasons mentioned above.
Last Updated: February 9, 2022