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 The Issues
 Advance Directives (Page 2)
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LuckyLady Member Posts: 17 |
posted 09-17-2000 11:50 AM
  
After working in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit for the past 8 years, providing support to families who are often faced with making choices on their family member's care, it seemed some help was in order. The people involved are often siblings trying to figure out what to do with mom or dad. We now have a desicion making help sheet for caregivers. It's a form to be completed by each peson ivolved in the making the desicion, and one sheet is used for each option. These sheets have served many purposes. When doing taxes you figure the amount using a formula. These sheets include Quality of Life, Importance to patiet, Gut Feeling and Prof. recommendation. By totalin all the net values, difference between positive and negative, for each option, and seeing which one has the highest positive number, more than 1 person can be involved in the decision, or the person making it can work it out and visualize what looks to be the best. If guilt sets in 6 months down the road, there is something tangible to show why such and such was done. If mom is screaming "Why did you do this to me?" you can give her the sheets. If anyone would like a copy of one, let me know and I will send it to you, or help you make one, catstbi@voyager.net. Remember listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do. |
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LuckyLady Member Posts: 17 |
posted 09-17-2000 12:02 PM
[This message has been edited by LuckyLady (edited 09-17-2000).] |
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kparlin Member Posts: 5 |
posted 10-13-2000 10:35 AM
quote: I believe you can find it at www.agingwithdignity.org. |
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treeskate New Member Posts: 1 |
posted 05-06-2001 02:12 PM
I would like to address 2 topics. The first being that DNR is usually not valid if a patient is having surgury. Foremost, is that patients can have reactions to the anesthesia or surgical manipulation that are totally unrelated to the underlying disease and can be successfully reversed with intervention. Most surgeries that I have seen are palliative - example, relieving a bowel obstruction that will make the coming time more comfortable. It is not only the surgeon that should be involved in the decision to operate but the anesthesia provider! The surgeon does the physical operation but the anesthesia provider manages all the person's life systems and the caregivers/decision makers should be properly informed about the risks/treatments, etc. Secondly, I would like to see more discussion about the person who does not have a family/close friend support system. In our ever increasing separation from original home sites, family (and relatives may have already died or have not been involved in the person's adult life by choice) and isolation/lack of close friendships, I think we will be facing these issues more and more in the future. Comments? |
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