Message from the Health and

Message from the Health and Wellness Committee

April 16, 2020 was National HealthCare Decisions Day. This day is recognized each year on April 16, the day after taxes are due, April 15, as Benjamin Franklin stated “in this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes”. On Tuesday, April 14, 2020, Mu Lambda Health and Wellness Committee hosted its first virtual “Let’s Talk Health and Wellness” to discuss advance care planning and palliative care. There topics, more times than not, are considered taboo in the Black community.

In the African-American community, as well as many other communities of color, the dying and death part of life is fraught with anxiety and fear. Just as many families do not discuss and share pertinent medical history so that future generations might be better informed about their family history and potential risk for certain diseases, we often fail to have honest and open conversations about our wishes in the face of serious illness; particularly wishes regarding dying, when no other curative options exist. In the Black community, many of these considerations and discussions about dying, challenge our faith.

As a Palliative Medicine physician, I implore each of you, if you have not already had the conversation, to consider the extent of care that you wish for yourself in face of a serious, life-threatening illness. This consideration has never been more important as is is now, as we are living in a public health crisis caused by the COVID19 pandemic, which has greatly strained our medical resources, with the threat of rationing medical treatment and care in the near future.

If you have family members who, or you yourself, are experiencing a serious illness, have you had a conversation with your family to understand their goals or so your family can understand your wishes at the end life? What you might want for yourself is not necessarily what someone else would want for their life and may not be the option they would choose for you, if you were incapacitated and unable to make your own medical decisions. Though some may find this topic somber and depressing, it is of utmost importance, and if done early, and not in a time of crisis, it can alleviate significant personal distress and unnecessary family dynamic that often ensues when these conversations are not had. I encourage each of you, when your family is around the dinner table, so that all may witness, to ask “what does living well look like to you?” or “what’s an acceptable quality of life for you if you were faced with a serious illness?”. You may be surprised what information and stories are elicited to enlighten you for future reference.

I would encourage each of you, no matter what age, to consider completing an advance directive. This document, which must be completed by the individual, allows you to name a healthcare surrogate and an alternate healthcare surrogate, to be your voice, making decisions as you would make them, should you become incapacitated and unable to participate in your own medical decision making. It also gives instructions to the extent of life-sustaining care, such as resuscitation, that you would or would not want in a terminal, serious, or end-stage condition.

Completing an advance directive is one of the greatest responsibilities that we have in preserving our autonomy and is one of the most valuable gifts to give our families by taking the burden of decision making for our lives out of their hands.

District of Columbia: https://www.nhpco.org/wpcontent/uploads/DistrictofColumbia.pdf

Maryland: https://www.nhpco.org/wp-content/ uploads/Maryland.pdf

Virginia: https://www.nhpco.org/wp-content/uploads/ Virginia.pdf

Fraternally,