ADVANCE CARE PLANNING | MAKING YOUR WISHES KNOWN


It does not matter how old you are, how healthy or not you might be, one never knows what the future holds, and being prepared is always a good idea. Furthermore, if we never make our wishes known, it makes it that much more difficult for our care givers to know and follow them… Not many people want to think about the eventuality of their own death, but it’s important for everyone, people of all ages, all walks of life, and all states of illness or health, to think these things through, and to document their wishes regarding advanced healthcare preferences. There are several advantages to getting your affairs in order.
  • Communicating your wishes about the kind of care you want, or don’t want, can make an enormous difference to healthcare providers, loved ones and most importantly - to you.
  • It gives health providers tools to create a plan of care that meets both treatment and quality-of-life goals when you can’t speak for yourself. It makes loved ones confident that they are honoring your wishes and helps reduce confusion, conflict, and feelings of guilt.
  • Research also found that taking the steps to create a plan also improves patient quality of life and reduces anxiety.

What is an Advance Directive?


Many people may have heard of advance directives and living wills but are still not quite sure what doctors are talking about when they mention advance care planning. Living wills and other advance directives are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care, that are made in advance, so that if a time comes when you are in need of care, but are unable to make decisions for yourself (such as being in a coma), or are unable to communicate your wishes, your medical care givers as well as your loved ones, will know what your wishes are, and will be able to follow them. Advance care planning refers to a whole process, including reflection on what’s important to you in terms of quality of life, learning about options, such as palliative and hospice care; and having honest discussions with others, as well creating an advance care directive.

Living will

A ‘living will’ is a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be implemented to keep you alive, as well as your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation. In determining your wishes, think about your values. Consider how important it is to you to be independent and self-sufficient and identify circumstances in which such decisions would apply. Would you want treatment to extend your life in any situation? All situations? Would you want treatment only if a cure is possible? Your Living Will addresses a number of possible end-of-life care decisions that can be followed in your behalf if you are unable to communicate them at the time the care is needed.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and Do Not Intubate Orders (DNI)

You don't need to have an advance directive or living will to have DNR and/or DNI orders. To establish DNR or DNI orders, tell Dr. Bloomfield or Laurin Stroud about your preferences. He or she will write the orders and put them in your medical record. Even if you already have a living will stating your preferences regarding resuscitation and intubation, it is still a good idea to establish DNR or DNI orders each time you are admitted to a new hospital or healthcare facility. 

We offer 2 different ways patients may complete the process of Advance Directive and Living Will:​

1. Work with EHP's Laurin Stroud, MSW, NCCP​

As a social worker and counselor Laurin Stroud, is available to all our patients (even self-paid) to walk you through the process of identifying your preferences and assist you in expressing them clearly in the appropriate legal document. Laurin is also a certified paralegal and Public Notary. She will guide you through each step of this crucially important process, as well as legally certifying your wishes in the above documents. ​

2. Work with Iris 

Iris Logo
Our ACO, Aledade, has partnered with Iris, a company that specializes in CACP – Complete Advanced Care Planning. Currently, Iris’s services are available only to Medicare and Medicare Advantage Members. It is provided completely free of charge. Advanced Care Planning is a process where you and your family meet to discuss your future care preferences so that your family or caregivers know what’s important to you. An Iris facilitator will help you talk through treatment options and situations that you may not have considered. Iris will help you complete documents that communicate your wishes and distribute them to your family and care team. The goal of health care planning is to understand your wishes and help you document and communicate them. Iris will spend as much time as you need and is able to include your family or caregivers. This conversation allows you to confirm:
  • What values and goals are important to you
  • Who needs to be informed about your medical decisions
  • How and where do you want future care to be delivered
  • What happens if your health status changes over time​
If you would like to collaborate with us on this tremendously important process, please call the office at (336) 659-6250, or let us know during your visit. We will make sure to sign you up to one of these excellent options best fitted to your needs and eligibility.