ABC News recently aired a series of stories about the importance of advance directives. Featured was Ellen Goodman, a Pulitzer prize-winning columnist, author, speaker, and commentator who is co-founder of “The Conversation Project.”
According to her website, “Ellen co-founded The Conversation Project in 2010 when a group of colleagues and concerned media, clergy, and medical professionals gathered to share stories of “good deaths” and “bad deaths” within their own circle of loved ones. Over several months, a vision emerged for a grassroots public campaign spanning both traditional and new media that would change our culture. The goal: to make it easier to initiate conversations about dying, and to encourage people to talk now and as often as necessary so that their wishes are known when the time comes.”
OSF Supportive Care has more than 300 certified facilitators who can have these important conversations about advance directives with our patients and their family members. This past year we successfully completed over 2,600 advance directives and our goal for fiscal year 2013 is to go above and beyond that number and reach the largest number of patients, especially those at higher risk for hospitalization, and families that we can.
Last Updated: November 6, 2018
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This story is worth taking the time to watch. You can only guess what your family member would want unless you take the time to talk to them. You need to know what decisions they would make in a variety of situations and over time. These decisions are not only about the use of life-sustaining treatment, but also decisions that relate to person’s spiritual care needs, pain control directives, where the person prefers to die, etc.
Ideally, this “conversation” should happen with the family member completing or reviewing a Power of Attorney for Health Care form that designates an agent (medical decision-maker) to speak for the family member when they can’t speak for them-self.
OSF Healthcare System has trained advance care planning facilitators that can help you have “the conversation” with your family and/or the person you appoint as your agent. Call your local OSF Medical Group physician office or the OSF Supportive Care Division if you are interested in this service.