Many of us are pleased that PeaceHealth Medical Group is rolling out a more robust program to motivate patients, their family members and physicians to address the proven benefits of health advance care planning and advance directives, before illness or accident occurs.
Recently in Bellingham, Dr. Scott Foster, PHMG chief medical executive, energized our community by announcing PeaceHealth’s commitment to encourage patients who have decision-making capacity to be proactive in guiding their health care decisions in the event that they become unable to participate directly in decisions regarding their care.
This involves a comprehensive process that requires patients to accept shared responsibility with professional caregivers. Foster suggested four things for each of us to do to ensure we get the care we want: (1) have values-based conversations with friends and family; (2) identify decision-making surrogates who will honor our wishes; (3) initiate advance care discussions with health care professionals; and(4) complete an advance directive routinely.
I can attest to the value of documenting directives because of how effectively my husband’s advance planning worked. An important ethical argument for advance directives — (sometimes called living wills — is their appeal to the principle of patient autonomy. Living wills attempt to ensure that patients receive the treatment they want.
Don’t wait — make your wishes known.
