According to research reported by the National Institute on Aging, planning and discussing your healthcare wishes for the future may ensure that you will receive the care you want if you become seriously ill and are unable to communicate your decisions for medical treatment. It may also allow your loved ones to focus on grieving during a difficult time.
Whether you consider it emergency preparedness or an act of love and respect toward your family, the more you speak up before a medical crisis happens, the better your healthcare will be. Here are some tips, provided by On Lok PACE Physician Alice Mao, MD, and Szu-Ning Chen, Regional Social Work Manager, to help you put a plan in place.
Think about what matters most to you
What are your hopes and goals for your life, should your healthcare situation change? Reflect on the things that give you joy and meaning, and consider the fears or worries you have about your future care. It's OK if you don't know what matters most to you right away, since this might change over time.
Speak up about what you want
Do the people close to you know about what matters most to you? Talk to trusted family members and friends about your wishes. Discuss them with your healthcare team. Conversations help make what you think and how you feel as clear as possible.
If you are a family member or caregiver, you can find information to help start the conversation with your loved ones at theconversationproject.org.
Choose a healthcare proxy now
A healthcare proxy is someone who can make decisions for you if you are unable to do so. A good candidate is someone you can trust to implement the decisions you have asked them to make and who will be able and willing to speak up and voice your thoughts and feelings to the healthcare team.
Complete an advance healthcare directive
There are several advance healthcare directive forms that are valid in California. Here is one resource to help you prepare your own: prepareforyourcare.org.
