Many patients, despite their desire to remain in control of the final stages of life, never document their wishes or even express them to family members or close friends.
All too often, an end-of-life decision is left to someone who isn’t clear on what the patient would have wanted and therefore, they are unable to take appropriate action, thus leaving loved ones with doubt and guilt after the patient has passed.
However, many of these situations may be remedied by completing an Advance Directive (AD) and appointing a healthcare advocate who will honor the wishes of the patient.
By law, upon admissions, all patients must be asked if they have an AD. As a healthcare institution and individual providers, we are obligated to honor the AD and act in accordance with their wishes.
If a patient indicates that they do not have an AD, but would like more information, WellStar has developed some new and improved tools to help with this process.
One such tool is the Patient Information Booklet, set to replace the Critical Conditions Pamphlet, currently distributed at admissions, in 2013.
More recently, a powerful addition to the ethics toolkit is a new video, available on-demand in patient rooms, labeled #810 - Advance Directive: “Who Will Speak for You?”
This 11-minute video brings home the powerful point that no matter your age or illness, it’s important to start thinking about how you want to live, even at the end of your life
Clinical team members may contact Care Coordination with any questions on ADs, or to speak with any patient who may have questions about how to complete an AD.
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