April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day every year. We often celebrate with an advance directive workshop. This year I had a personal story to share about healthcare decision making.
In March my dad was hospitalized. While listening to the nurse pass-off during shift change I heard them say that he was a full code – meaning if his heart stopped beating or he stopped breathing he would want them to bring him back to life. I completed my parents’ health care directives 15 years ago. I knew from that conversation, and my experience with my dad since then, that he would not want that intervention. I checked with him that his wishes had not changed and asked the nurses to have a doctor speak to him about a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) and a do not intubate (DNI) order.
I was not acting as my dad’s healthcare agent. I am actually number three down the list. Also, he was fully able to express his own healthcare wishes. However, because we had talked about his wishes, I was able to help him advocate for the care he wanted. It was not his Advance Directive for Health Care document, but the process of completing it, that gave me this knowledge.
I always tell our clients to have a long conversation with their health care agents and their families about their health care wishes. This experience with my dad was the perfect example of why talking to your loved ones is so important.