Ben Franklin said that the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes. National Healthcare Decisions Day is Monday, April 16. This national effort encourages all American adults to complete advance directives, and to discuss them annually with their families when they are not in a crisis. Therefore, when an emergency arises, the family members are aware of and more prepared to act on their loved one’s wishes.

Throughout my 20 years in health care, and 10 as a Hospice nurse, the most difficult situations I have encountered involved persons reaching the end of life with no preparations for their families to honor their wishes. There is unnecessary angst and grief placed upon the family to make decisions when there has been no guidance from the patient. I was trained as an Advance Care Planner years ago, and see often the benefits to families of my patients where this process has been followed.

Completing your Advance Directives – including a Living Will  and Health Care Power of Attorney –  is a first step. The most important issue, however, is to have the conversation with your family as an ongoing process. Nothing carries more weight than an open and heartfelt conversation with your family. This guidance is one of the greatest gifts you can leave for loved ones who may have to act on your End of Life Care decisions.

Just as you are encouraged to change your smoke detector batteries with the change in time for Daylight Savings time, please make it a point to have this very important family conversation at least annually as you settle up with Uncle Sam at Tax Time. This may spare your loved ones much grief when they need your love and guidance the most.

RM “Mac” Herring, BA, RN, CHPN, works at Palliative CareCenter & Hospice of Catawba Valley.

RELATED LINK

April 15, 2011, Time to think about end-of-life decisions.” An editor’s note column about the subject from a year ago.

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