Health and Wellness Committee - A Brothers Keeper

Health & Wellness| BROs KEEPER

In recognition of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month (November) 2022, let us pause and take assessment of our preparedness for an unexpected or already existing serious illness or end-of-life circumstance. Do you know about advance directives? Have you completed yours? Are you considering who to delegate as your healthcare proxy, sometimes called a healthcare or medical power-of-attorney? Or has a family member or a close friend asked you to serve in such capacity?

As a board-certified Hospice and Palliative Medicine physician, I am frequently involved in conversations with patients and families, who are dealing with serious illness or who are dying, to better understand their values and expectations to ensure that the medical care that is being received is congruent with their values and goals. As you might imagine, emotions and tensions are heightened and rationality and sound judgment often wane during the stress of a medical crisis or emergency. Therefore, it is reasonable and advised to have conversations about medical planning, in which you consider the extent of care that you might desire, in advance of a serious or life-limiting disease. This is the role of advance care planning – to review, discussion, and complete an advance directive.

An advance directive is sometimes called a Living Will. It is a document that outlines and allows you to decide what treatments you would want and those that you would not want in situation of a terminal disease where death is imminent, an end-stage disease, or if you are in a persistent vegetative state. In addition to choosing the medical treatments and interventions that you would desire, an advance directive also allows you to name a person to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event of your incapacity. However, to designate a medical power-of-attorney, you have to have capacity to make such decision and designation – you cannot be in a coma or have advanced or end-stage dementia, for example, that would render you incapacitated and unable to participate in such medical decision-making. All too often attempts by family members to obtain a medical power-of-attorney for their loved one occurs when their loved one is incapable of making the designation and decision.

Be courageous and have these touch conversations with your family in the absence of any dire or emergent situation.

“It is never too early, until It’s too late”. A few links are provided for additional information about advance care planning:

CaringInfo: Resources for Serious Illness & End-of-Life Care PREPARE (prepareforyourcare.org) Center to Advance Palliative Care (capc.org)

Fraternally, Brother Alvin L. Reaves, III, M.D.

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