With the COVID-19 death toll continuing to mount, an ever-increasing number of families are faced with agonizing end-of-life decisions for loved ones. Making sure your wishes have been communicated is one way we can take some measure of control in this pandemic, when so much of our lives remains uncertain.
Dr. Karen Knops, Director of Palliative Care at Overlake Medical Center, says codifying your desires for medical care and appointing a representative can relieve your family of some angst in an already uneasy time.
“It's something that's been shown to actually lower anxiety, and I think now is a time where a lot of us feel a loss of control and feel that we have nothing that we can do to deal with that anxiety,” Knops said.
“And this is actually a perfect time because we have more time on our hands and we often have the ability to reach out to our family members or loved ones. This is something we can take control of, and having those conversations, you actually feel more connected and feel less afraid.”
Among the things to discuss with loved ones are the what-ifs of serious illnesses.
“What's most valuable is asking, are there functions – either cognitive functions or physical functions – that are so valuable to you that you wouldn't find life to be worth living if you couldn't do those things anymore?” Knops said. “Those are kind of complicated questions, and so I think it's good to take the pressure off and start slowly.”
Additionally, it is important to make sure you have someone to speak for you in the event you are unable. And as we have seen married couples get sick simultaneously with COVID-19, having more than one person ready to step in is crucial.
"A lot of people assume that the person that's close to them really knows how they think, what values they have, and unfortunately – unless we've really identified that person and asked them to play that role for us – there can be misunderstandings that happen or we may realize that they're just not comfortable advocating in the same way that you would want.”
Putting your health care and end-of-life wishes in writing goes a long way to eliminating any confusion and easing the decision-making burden. There are a couple of documents to assist you in the process:
- Health care power of attorney – this formally names one or more people as your spokesperson and advocate in the event you become incapacitated
- Living will – this document details specifically the level of treatment you would want to receive if you become seriously ill or injured; sharing this with your spokesperson is very important
Sponsored by Overlake Medical Center. Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.