The patient finds peace with the planning of advanced care

Connie Dullard de Morton has long been a champion in the planning of advanced care, and her children have long known her wishes about the treatment of the life suspension that she does and does not want.

She was therefore shocked when a member of the staff of Illinois Lung & Critical Care Institute mentioned that she had no advanced directives in her electronic medical file.

In a few days, Connie was seated with a facilitator of OSF care decisions. Thanks to this conversation, Connie realized that his “living will” was overwhelmed, even if his wishes were very clear in his mind and in his documents. But Connie was delighted to discover that the new documents she created thanks to the advanced care planning process would not recommend her wishes. They would link medical directives.

“These are not new decisions for me or my children,” she said. “The only thing that has been to remove the children from the equation. They don’t have to worry about it. “

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“… an extremely emotional decision for me.”

Ensuring that her children never have to interpret and implement his wishes are of the utmost importance for Connie. She is retired now, but she spent her career in nursing. She saw families fight under the burden of trying to discern wishes, especially when dear beings do not agree on these wishes. She has also seen the advantages that planning brings to families, the burden that it is ready for them when it is well done.

But Connie was also the caregiver. It is she who speaks for the patient who can no longer express her own wishes.

“Having crossed the decision-making process with my mother, being her attorney on health care, and even if I was a nurse and agreed with her, it was always an extremely emotional decision for me,” she said. “Having to say the last” no – no more “.”

Connie returned home from this discussion on planning advanced care and called her children to fill them. She provided them with copies of her documents, which she also keeps on her refrigerator and takes with her on vacation.

“It gave me a lot of peace of mind. My family too. Now they are out of this emotional corner that I have worked, ”she said. “I love this part.”

Join us for a special NHDD chat

This evening from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. CST, Dr. Robert Sawicki, Vice-President Director of OSF support care, will organize a special Twitter cat in honor of today as a national day of health care decisions.

Follow OSF health care on Twitter (@OSfhealthcare) and ask your own questions with a hashtag #OSFNHDD.

Last update: October 26, 2017