Wicked Local Marblehead: Tuesday, April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, and I’d like to remind everyone to think and talk about how they wish to be treated in the event a medical crisis leaves them unable to speak for themselves. There are several tools that can help people have the conversation with loved ones and document their wishes, including the Massachusetts Health Care Proxy form (available at caringinfo.org), Five Wishes (agingwithdignity.org) or The Conversation Project (theconversationproject.org).
At Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston, we’ve seen firsthand the stress families experience when conversations about health-care wishes haven’t happened. Understanding options for end-of-life care – before the crisis of a life-limiting diagnosis – can help patients and families assume more control over decision making and avert unnecessary suffering and emotional distress.