The critical importance of strong advanced care planning:
Our recent experience with a personal family illness revealed how easy it is for even seasoned professionals to become hesitant at a time when decisions must be made at a critical moment. Even a full understanding of benefits, risks, alternatives and unknowns wilts under the pressure of knowing how you or your loved one wants to live their life when living it will be under a compromise between quality and quantity.
It’s easy to personally value “quality” over quantity, but understanding the details of what that means for different levels of compromise can be overwhelming when there are many variables and unknowns to consider.
Don’t let medical technology overwhelm your personal identity, needs and and values when a health exigency or crisis occurs.
Doctors often make decisions that seem right based on expert guidelines or recommendations, but don’t account for your own personal needs, values or goals.
While individual diagnostic or treatment plans are often difficult to comprehend or integrate, the most important time for making fully shared decisions is when medical science and technology don’t offer easy solutions or certainty.
It is critical to be prepared for that time by having carefully examined and fully communicated your own or your loved one’s goals and values. When a crisis occurs for you or your loved ones you can then more effectively collaborate with your doctors or other caregivers. It is all too easy to become overwhelmed with the complex medical decision making that must occur in the chaotic environment of a medical crisis.
If you would like more information, education, coaching or advocacy to prepare for the time when medical technology cannot give you or your loved ones’ life back, but can take away your opportunity to live a dignified and peaceful life as life’s end approaches, check our website and email or or call for an introductory consultation about advanced care planning.
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