By CRIS
Community Resources for Independent Seniors
At first glance, it sounds easy. Make a will, choose a health care proxy, find a safe place for those documents and then forget about it. Others will cooperate with us in this avoid/dance. Let’s talk about something more pleasant, they say.
We can’t plan when we are going to die, but if we are wise we will want to consider how we are going to die. Barring some sudden unexpected demise (accidents, fatal heart attack or stroke), most of us will become old enough to acquire a terminal illness such as cancer, heart disease or dementia. Modern therapeutic interventions will keep us alive for a while, sometimes with a reasonably good quality of life. And then we reach the end- our final year of life.
This final stage of our existence can feel like a nightmare to us and to our families. Medical economic studies indicate that the expenditures for this last year (that which is spent on tests, procedures, medications) exceed those for all the previous years of our life combined. Do we choose this? Actually, it is assumed that it is what we want because it has become the standard of care for terminal patients. Few people question the appropriateness of all this intervention, least of all the dying person, who is now too weak or confused to object.
Increasingly, people are growing wary of this scenario and are opting for a different final phase, one that preserves dignity and an enhanced quality of life. But in order for that to happen, we have to plan for it. We have to talk about it with friends, relatives and health care providers.
How can we begin this conversation about end of life care? Enter the Five Wishes document.
Five Wishes was developed by Aging with Dignity, a national non-profit organization with a mission to safeguard the human dignity of people as they age or face serious illness. For nearly 20 years, Aging with Dignity has been an advocate for quality care for those near the end of life. The document has become America’s most popular living will because it is written in everyday language and helps start and structure important conversations about care in times of life-threatening illness. Five Wishes is a legally-binding living will that goes beyond medical directives to instruct others about our personal, emotional and spiritual needs and desires.
Last year, we at CRIS sponsored and facilitated a Five Wishes workshop that was well attended and went far beyond our expectations. Yes, it was helpful in planning for our future well- being as we age and face death. But we were astounded at the eagerness of folks to share their stories, hopes and desires for end of life care. People want to talk about this and are excited and energized by the opportunity to connect with others facing the inevitable.
This year, as part of our ongoing series Vital Conversations, we will hold another Five Wishes Workshop. It will take place at the CRIS office located in the Cherry Valley Professional Plaza, 2662 Route 20 East, in Cazenovia, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 26. There is no charge for the workshop and Five Wishes documents will be available at no charge. The event is appropriate for individuals and their loved ones as well as health care providers at any level.
To register or to learn more, please contact [email protected] or call 315-655-5743.
