Let’s Talk About What Matters: The Importance of Advance Care Planning
Family traditions - three generations together
BY PHILLIP W. HEATH, MS | President and CEO, Samaritan
I have always enjoyed these “quiet” final days of summer. In August, many individuals and families may try to steal away for a quick vacation or enjoy the last days of summer break before back-to-school season begins. Before you know it, a busy September will be upon us, with holidays on the horizon.
These quiet days are a chance to reflect, to plan for the days ahead, and to take care of long-delayed tasks and to-dos. I hope you will also set aside a little time this month to talk about something important: advance care planning. As adults and Americans, we spend a lot of time “birth planning”, but not enough time “advance care planning.”
What is advance care planning? Advance care planning is the chance to define and document what you want from any future medical care, regardless of whether or not that medical care is curative as you fight a disease, or life-enhancing as you seek out hospice and palliative care.
Maybe you have never thought about what you might like your end-of-life care to look like. It may make you feel uncomfortable to discuss, but your goals and wishes are important to consider. The questions to ask yourself or a loved one don’t have to be complicated, they can be simple: What matters most? What brings comfort? What does quality of life look like? Having a frank conversation about advance care planning can bring clarity, comfort, and peace of mind to both you and your family, so no one is left wondering what your intentions and wishes are.
Once you’ve thought about the answers to these questions, move forward with creating an Advance Directive – an oral or written instruction that details your medical care wishes in case the moment comes when you cannot make decisions for yourself. Kinds of Advance Directives include:
Living Will – A set of written instructions that detail medical treatment you wish to receive or not receive. It goes into effect as soon as you sign it.
Medical Power of Attorney – You can designate someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so.
POLST (Practitioner’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) – A medical order that gives clear instructions to emergency medical workers about whether or not you prefer to receive CPR, go to the hospital, and more. This order would need to be signed by a physician or advanced practice nurse (APN).
One more resource that I find tremendously helpful is called Five Wishes – it is a legal document but written in everyday language that is easy to understand and not overwhelming. While Five Wishes explores your medical wishes, the document also considers your emotional and spiritual needs for end-of-life care. Many organizations, including Samaritan, offer free copies of Five Wishes to anyone who might find the document useful.
Having these important discussions now creates a wonderful gift, both for you and your loved ones. Advance care planning allows individuals to share their wishes, values, and priorities before a health crisis occurs. Families with a plan are more confident, less stressed, and better able to focus on meaningful time together when decisions are guided by a loved one’s wishes.
August is also Make a Will Month. Should you have additional questions about estate planning, I invite you to register for one of Samaritan’s free “Will, Tax, & Estate Planning Workshops” next month. Participants can join either a virtual session or in-person session in Voorhees to hear from a panel of expert attorneys who can provide practical guidance and answer questions.
Please visit www.SamaritanNJ.org to learn more about these workshop sessions and to request your free copy of the Five Wishes living will document.
I hope you take advantage of a quiet moment this month to have this important conversation with your family or at least start thinking about these important questions to get the process started. Please remember that support and resources are here for you if you need them.
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