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Do not wait to express future wishes

Imagine you are standing by a bed in the ICU. A close family member is critically ill and unable to communicate with you. The doctor wants you to decide whether to use high-tech medical treatments to keep him/her alive. Life and death decisions must be made now. You think you know what should be done but your sister disagrees with you. Arguments and feelings of guilt follow.

If only your loved one could make the decision, you would honor their wishes. You would respect their right to choose. But you just don’t know what they would want in this situation.

Everyone hopes they will NOT be in the ICU situation described above. Research suggests, however, that 50 percent of people will be unable to make their own decisions at the end of life. That is why we should discuss personal treatment preferences in advance. It always seems too early to make these decisions until it is too late.

According to public health laws, every person has the right to state what medication, treatment or surgery they will accept OR refuse AND to designate a person who will speak for them if they cannot speak for themselves. By setting down such “Advance Directives,” you are giving a great gift to your family. You may prevent some of their conflict and guilt. Medical studies have shown that some family members faced with difficult healthcare situations have gone on to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. Planning ahead reduces the risk of PTSD.

April 16 has been designated as National Healthcare Decisions Day. This is a time to educate people about making healthcare plans and to encourage them to express their wishes. All adults (at any age) can benefit from thinking about their healthcare choices. Consider appointing someone as your HEALTHCARE AGENT or proxy. Then meet with that person to discuss the kind of care you would want (as well as what you would not want). This proxy would speak on your behalf in the event that you become too sick to make decisions. The New York Living Will form helps people set down their future healthcare preferences. For someone already suffering from a serious illness, the MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form is an excellent way to direct your healthcare.

To promote the National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative, Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care has scheduled two Open House events to assist individuals with their completion of Advance Directives and answer their questions. The workshops are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Hospice office in Fredonia at 37 W. Main St. and on Monday, April 18 at the Hospice office in Lakewood at 20 W. Fairmount Ave. The events are FREE and open to the public. For more information, please call 338-0033 or visit www.HospiceChautCo.org

As an alternative, individuals can complete their own Advance Directives by visiting www.compassionandsupport.org where information and documents are available, or they can complete them at their physician’s or attorney’s office. Finally, please share your decisions with your loved ones, your proxy and your physician. Have your directives recorded in the Chautauqua County Health Care Proxy Registry by faxing it to 338-9740 so that area hospitals, first responders and healthcare providers can easily access them. And revisit them every year with your family, because circumstances and perspectives change.

We urge residents of Chautauqua County to take the time to discuss, decide and document their wishes during this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day events.

Dr. Thomas Putnam is medical director of Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care while Dr. Patrick Collins and Dr. Jay Bishop are co-medical directors of Chautauqua Integrated Delivery Systems.

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