Ending Life Well: Conversations & Connections A Healthcare Provider’s View on End of Life
Care Planning By Karen Anderson , ACNP May is Older Americans Month and is focused on “Aging My Way.” PCOA’s End of Life team believes that discussing and documenting healthcare and end of life wishes is one way to “age your way.” Many healthcare providers agree and have unique perspectives with first-hand knowledge about what happens with and without these discussions and documents. For insight, we asked Karen Anderson, an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with 35 years of intensive care experience, to share her thoughts on advance care planning and “aging your way”: As a nurse practitioner in the ICU, I take care of patients facing serious health issues. Often, patients can participate in their care, voicing their wishes and worries about what is happening to them. When the patient participates in their care, the healthcare team learns what they value and what is important to them in terms of their health. Unfortunately, sometimes a patient comes to us in a condition that prevents them from participating in their care. In these times, the healthcare team turns to those who love the patient to assist in decision-making. Ideally, the decision-maker bases choices on what the patient would want. However, this process may be overshadowed by relationship difficulties that manifest as guilt,
fear, or even anger. When I speak to loved ones navigating these difficult times, I emphasize that they are to be the patient’s voice. This is much easier if the patient and decision-maker have had conversations about life’s “what ifs” before the crisis event. Even better is when these conversations are put to paper in the form of an advance directive. These documents provide a patient-led guide to help those who are asked to make difficult decisions; this can help to minimize emotional and relational difficulties and let the patient have “aging and healthcare their way.” Patients, families, and friends often want definitive answers about how the crisis will play out. Some have difficulty understanding that the healthcare world I work in is not black and white. Despite medical advancements and technology, there are still outcomes outside healthcare providers’ knowledge and control. In these uncertain times, it is of great value to know and understand what is important to the patient—what they value most. Some people value living as long as they can—for a variety of reasons, like wanting to live to a milestone birthday, seeing a child or grandchild get married, or simply for fear of the unknown. On the other hand, some people value life quality over quantity. They might never want a tracheostomy
or feeding tube, and would not want to need the help of others to be fed or use the toilet. It is unsettling to think of oneself in a life-altering, possibly life-ending health crisis with little control. However, if we willingly step into the discomfort, talk to those close to us, and think about what is most important and dear to us, we do take control. We use these experiences as a springboard to plan for the “what ifs,” to live life on our terms and ensure that, if we are unable to fully participate in decision making, our wishes, values, and desires are the driving force for the choices made on our behalf. To live, age, and prepare for dying “your way,” PCOA’s End of Life Team is ready to provide you with information, support you through difficult conversations, and document your wishes. Call (520) 790-7262 for an appointment.
Page 26 | May 2022, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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