April 16th is National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). National Healthcare Decisions Day exists to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning. It is a day dedicated to helping everyone talk about and plan for important healthcare decisions.

These conversations are important for many reasons, there may come a time when you are unable to speak for yourself and become unable to make important decisions regarding your healthcare wishes. Not having your wishes known puts a difficult and emotional strain on your loved ones as they try to decide what you would have wanted. Physicians are left in the dark with no guidance on how to respect your wishes.

An important topic that Ascend Hospice encourages you to include in your planning are conversations on what would matter to you if you are living with a serious life-limiting illness. Sharing  your wishes, preferences and goals with your loved ones and healthcare providers will help ensure you receive the care you want. 

Here’s 5 questions to consider when living with a serious illness

1.  How much medical treatment am I willing to undertake to extend my life?

Consider which is more important, more time or more quality of life. Do you want physicians to do everything possible to extend your life even at the cost of quality of life?

2.  Who do I want to be involved in my medical decisions?

Consider who you want to be involved in medical decisions. It will be important to name someone who can make medical decisions for you, if you cannot in the future. Having someone close to you travel this journey with you will provide much needed comfort, support and even advocacy to ensure your wishes. But remember, what you share and what your healthcare team shares is up to you. If a loved one accompanies you on doctor visits let your providers know what they can and cannot speak about in front of them.

3.  How do I want others to treat me?

Often people decide not to share their serious illness with others because they do not want to be treated differently. It can help to be honest with others and share how you want to be treated. Do you prefer not making your illness the center of conversation? Do you feel people care more when they ask about how you are doing? Do you want others to give advice, information and share resources? Do you simply want everyone to stop sharing what they found on Google? Do you want people praying for you? Do you prefer to be treated as if you are not living with a serious illness or do you find comfort in others' concerns, expressions of love and offers of support?

4.  What do you want for the future?

Think about what you do want, and what you do not want. Examples might include: I want to be comfortable and free of pain, I want to be surrounded by loved ones, I want to focus on quality of life, I want to be at peace spiritually, I want to pass at home.

Also think about what you do not want to happen. Examples might include: I don’t want to pass in a hospital, I don’t want to be in the ICU, I don’t want aggressive treatment, I don’t want to keep going to the ER, I don’t want to be in a lot of pain, I don’t want my family burdened by decisions.

5.  What are your sources of hope, strength, comfort and peace?

Living with serious illness is also an emotional journey, especially at the end of life. At the end of life people often reflect. You may have questions about the meaning of life and begin to think about your spiritual needs in new ways. Spiritual support can greatly enhance your wellbeing.

Making your wishes known is important and empowering. It is important to educate yourself on available healthcare options while you are living with a serious illness. But it's also important, even if you are currently healthy, to consider what you would want in the future if you were diagnosed with a serious illness. Planning ahead helps ensure that you or your loved ones won't be tasked with making decisions during a time that is already stressful and unsettling. Many people don’t fully understand options like hospice or palliative care that focus on reducing symptoms and increasing quality of life.

Explore our website and care support options to gain insights on choices that can help you live with illness today and help guide your decisions for the future.