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How Do I Decide?
Remembering the Patient
Sometimes, patients have already told loved ones what they would want if they ever got sick. Other times, loved ones may have to use other parts of the patient’s life to figure out what they would want. For example, someone did not like doctors or hospitals may not want to be attached to machines and live in a hospital. Other people who loved being around family may be okay with a tracheostomy if they could still interact with their family. Consider the following when deciding:
- What did the patient do for fun or pleasure before they got sick?
- What was their level of function?
- What was important to them?
- How did they feel about hospitals or doctor’s appointments?
- What other medical problems did your loved one have before they got sick?
- Have you ever had discussions with the patient about what they would want if they ever got very sick?
- What has the patient said, if anything, about other people around you who might have been very sick?
- What would the patient say if they knew that staying alive meant being connected to machines?