As often as I address advance directives for clients in their 40's and above, this is also a discussion for those of all ages who are legally an adult.
For those of you following covid-19 stories, you are aware that many of the patients of covid-19 are young people. It’s doubtful the 18-year-old had thought much about his or her mortality prior to this. And surprisingly we get to make those decisions as a result of ligation arising from a young patient, under the age of 25, who was in a permanent vegetative state.
So while we are social distancing in our homes, it’s time to have that conversation that most of us have avoided or didn’t even know we needed to have. Make an end-of-life plan, write it down, and have it available to your family, doctor and hospital. Even better, reach out to a lawyer who specializes in this area and learn how to make your wishes legally sound so if there is any kind of dispute between family members, there will be a clear path forward.
It isn’t an easy thing to do but it is important; both for your own good and for the emotional well-being of your family. There also is no right or wrong answer for your desires. It is what you wish and what you believe in and you should take control of your own philosophy regarding this matter.
Maybe this pandemic is the painful and emotional nudge we all needed to move forward. Discussing advance directives prior to getting ill can save a lot of emotional pain and help to lessen the fears that surround death.
For those of you following covid-19 stories, you are aware that many of the patients of covid-19 are young people. It’s doubtful the 18-year-old had thought much about his or her mortality prior to this. And surprisingly we get to make those decisions as a result of ligation arising from a young patient, under the age of 25, who was in a permanent vegetative state.
So while we are social distancing in our homes, it’s time to have that conversation that most of us have avoided or didn’t even know we needed to have. Make an end-of-life plan, write it down, and have it available to your family, doctor and hospital. Even better, reach out to a lawyer who specializes in this area and learn how to make your wishes legally sound so if there is any kind of dispute between family members, there will be a clear path forward.
It isn’t an easy thing to do but it is important; both for your own good and for the emotional well-being of your family. There also is no right or wrong answer for your desires. It is what you wish and what you believe in and you should take control of your own philosophy regarding this matter.
Maybe this pandemic is the painful and emotional nudge we all needed to move forward. Discussing advance directives prior to getting ill can save a lot of emotional pain and help to lessen the fears that surround death.
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