“If something were to happen to me, who is going to make those decisions?"
National Healthcare Decisions Day (April 16) is a great opportunity to think about and plan for future healthcare decisions.
“Life is unpredictable, and these past two-and-a-half years have certainly demonstrated that for all of us,” said Crystal Young, RN, program manager for Beaumont Health.
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is proactive planning. It begins with a conversation about what is important for us to live well and who we would trust to be our designated decision-maker if we are ever temporarily or permanently unable to make our own healthcare
decisions.
“ACP is more than just a document. It’s a process of planning and conversation where you share your values, experiences and what is important to you,” Young said.
David Schuit, 24, understands the importance of ACP. He has been assisting with his father’s care since his diagnosis with multiple myeloma in May 2020, which prompted him to have discussions about his own ACP through the resources Beaumont provides.
“Over the last two years, he’s gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy, surgeries, and a stem cell transplant, and living with the uncertainty of that really prompted me to think about the future,” Schuit said. “If something
were to happen to me, who is going to make those decisions? Being in a situation where difficult decisions have to be made, I realized very quickly if I can’t communicate what I would want, I want somebody to be able to communicate that for
me.”
His father was 57 years old at the time of his diagnosis, and the Schuits had no warning.
“People can become ill at any age - life doesn’t always give you a heads up,” he said. “You have to think about what is right for you, and it’s important to communicate that to those around you. Otherwise, they will
be left in the dark trying to figure out what it is you would want. If you’ve never had a conversation about it, it’s impossible to know.”
Schuit did his own ACP through Respecting Choices® at Beaumont and found the process very helpful. Respecting Choices offers free services to patients, families, employees and community members who are 18 years and older and interested in engaging
in the process of Advance Care Planning.
“We want people to - at a minimum - think about who they would trust to make health care decisions for them and what is important for them to share with that person,” Young said. “Ask yourself: ‘Who do I want to speak on my behalf
and make decisions on what matters most to me if I am unable to do so myself, and what do I want them to know about my values and wishes?’”