I know there is a big hub bub brewing right now regarding advanced care planning. I'm not sure what the deal is, everyone should have a living will, and carefully consider advanced care planning. I am thirty five years old and I have had a living will since I was twenty five. I'm healthy, fit and have no serious health conditions, and tomorrow I could be hit by a very large bus. For the sake of my family and my physician, I want my wishes for care known in advance so my family won't be put in an even more difficult position. I don't want my family making the wrong decision because they love me too much to let me go. I want to be allowed to die if there is not hope for me to recover. They don't have to decide whether I would wish to live in a persistent vegetative state, kept alive artificially, because I have already made it clear that I do not.
I also name my husband as my healthcare surrogate so that it is clear that he is the person I wish to make decisions for me in the event that I am incapacitated and cannot make them for myself. That is particularly important. Although I would never anticipate a family feud, I do have a sister and a mother, and perhaps they wouldn't necessarily agree with what my husband decided upon, however, it's my decision ahead of time to choose him to make decisions for me. Remember, that if you do not designate a surrogate this is not necessarily clear.
As I age I will update my living will regularly, and if I become chronically ill I will consult with my physician to be sure it reflects those changes. If I am affected by a terminal illness I expect to speak with my physician frankly about my life expectancy and treatment options. I have seen physicians treat patients with chemo when they had crumbling bones full of mets, simply because the patient asked them for it. I want to know when it's time to call the treatments finished and head to Disney World with the strap on morphine pump. I am hoping for a long, long life without incident but I am prepared.
When I hear of senior citizens and the elderly who are against having a consultation with their physician about advanced planning paid for by Medicare I don't really understand. I certainly understand not agreeing with the entire Health Care Reform bill but what's the beef with page 425? It doesn't require you to have a Living Will, it just requires the consultation to be paid for every five years. Trust me when I tell you that you want your physician to talk frankly to you about advanced planning. The alternative to doing your own advanced planning is having others, and not necessarily those you would choose, do it for you when it is too late.
