‘Talk Turkey’ about the important things when faced with a medical crisis
Turkey “too dry,” dressing “just right,” crust “kind of flakey” – yep, opinions flow freely at the Thanksgiving table.
Tummies are full and talk is lively. Why not segue from food channel discussions to something more important – such as what happens if a medical crisis occurs to one of the loved ones in the room? Do loved ones know what mom, dad, or others consider as an acceptable or unacceptable way to live?
“Research shows that most Americans already know what kind of medical care they want or don’t want should an unexpected crisis occur and one cannot make their own care decisions,” said Stephanie VanSlyke, R.N., Advance Care Planning coordinator at Munson Medical Center. “People typically do want to talk about it, but maybe they don’t know how to get the conversation rolling. We want to help area families make that conversation easier.”
The time for conversations about medical care should not be delayed. Most adults would agree that a busy hospital waiting room is not the ideal place to start a conversation. Hospital beds are filled each day with people who did not plan to be there, VanSlyke said.
“We want to encourage people to start the process. A peace of mind comes when one knows you can honor your loved ones’ wishes, and they can honor yours. That’s a real blessing to add to this holiday season,” VanSlyke said. “What decisions would you want your health care agent to make if you were in a serious car accident, or otherwise lost the ability to know who you are, where you are, and who is with you?”
The process for all adults involves two decisions:
• Who to choose for a health care agent.
• What that agent needs to know about the kind of care you do want or don’t want should a devastating accident occur.
Adults living with a chronic, life-limiting illness that has compromised quality of life should revisit their medical care directive to review past decisions. They should include any changes learned from living with their illness. This is when the level of conversation becomes much more nuanced and more important. The Advance Care Planning department can help residents at this stage as well.
A series of Advance Care Planning workshops is planned at various locations in northern Michigan through early December. The seminars are free, but registration is requested. For more information about times, places and dates, as well as how to register, go to munsonhealthcare.org/advancecareplanning.