You may have a plan, but did you plan well?
Nancy was feeling good that she had had a conversation with her family doctor about the care she wanted if she became seriously ill. Even though it was hard, she examined her values around a serious illness, and around her own death, and she talked about it with her doctor and her family. Having the conversation had put Nancy’s mind at ease.
Do you know what you would want, if you were faced with a serious illness? And do you understand whether your treatment options match your values?
Image by K Whiteford is licensed under CC0 BY 1.0
Recently, a friend talked with Nancy about the fact that there were conflicts in her requests, and that there would be trade-offs between some of her values. Nancy had identified that she valued as much time as possible with family members so she would want to receive care at home, and she didn’t want any medications that would cloud her brain; she also identified that she wanted to be kept as comfortable as possible, and she didn’t want to be hooked up to machines. Within Nancy’s list of preferences, one trade-off has to do with treatments that increase comfort, because these often make it hard for people to focus or to stay awake. Anybody trying to make decisions about Nancy’s care – even Nancy herself – could find themselves struggling to know how much medication to give to manage pain, since she also had the priority of interacting with loved-ones. To help her make a better advance care plan, Nancy’s friend pointed her to the Plan Well guide. Through the guide’s resources, Nancy now understands the trade-offs that come with different types of care. She has clarified for herself, for her family doctor and loved-ones that what is most meaningful to her is time with and awareness of her family – she would accept some pain to enjoy time with her loved-ones.
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Nancy is a made-up character, but this scenario is in line with the research of Dr. Daren Heyland, MD, MSc, FRCPC. He has found that many patients and their loved-ones have conflicts between what treatment they say they want, and what values they hold – this makes it hard for everyone to make decisions in a crisis situation. To help people understand and explore the relationship between their treatment options and their values, Dr. Heyland has developed the Plan Well guide – a tool best used before a crisis hits, because it’s much easier to process information and to make decisions when stress is low.
Nobody wants to face a critical illness, but most of us will at some point. If we can’t avoid it, the next best thing is to minimize the stress around a serious health event – and least stress usually happens when there is a well-informed plan in place. For this reason, I invite and encourage everyone to take advantage of the Plan Well guide – a tool that is free to use – to plan for the care that is right for you. If you have questions, your doctor or Dr. Daren Heyland are great resources. Alternatively, you may always call or email us at Navigate Your Health, to speak to a trusted health navigator and advocate so you can make sense of critical care planning, and you can be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead in your health journey.