Written by. Arneva Moore, Registered Nurse-Hospital Supervisor, Daytona Beach District

The grass withers, the flower fades; because the spirit of the Lord blows on it: surely the people is grass. (Isaiah 40:7)

The wind of God is a mighty storm blast, which tears up the grass and hurls it to destruction.  In this scripture, as the flowers fade, so does the lives of men.  God is infinite and has no expiration date but our lives will end.  Our life processes will end in this flesh because it is finite and cannot be predicted.  Once a person’s life begins to transition to death, nothing else is pursued by that individual. 

As a health care professional, the phases of fading lives are seen daily.  We often hear the words of family members stating, “Please do everything to save my loved one.”  Often times, the supportive family has no ideal which direction to go for continued medical care or how the patient would like their medical treatment to proceed if there is a change in health status. 

Advance directive is a personal choice that is an important decision for each of us to consider as we age, or our health changes. Having a conversation among your love ones or friends about your personal choices is significant.  This will help them manage making a decision on your behalf concerning your medical treatment, if and when you lose the capacity to do so.  Supporting families that have no idea what their loved one wishes to happen regarding their health is very stressful and emotional.  Sustaining treatments when they become incapacitated can traumatize a family and should be discuss before reaching that situation.

Organizing your personal choices such as: Advance Directive, Living Will and even a Health Care Surrogate by proxy is an important document to have in place. Some surveys have shown only about 30% of individuals have made a choice and have considered end of life care on their own. 

A Living Will is a legal document that a person uses to make known their wishes regarding life prolonging treatments.  A living will should not be confused with a living trust which is a mechanism for holding and distribution of personal assets to avoid probate court.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) or otherwise called “no code,” is a legal order written either in the hospital or on a legal form, to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or advance cardio life support (ACLS) and allow natural death to occur.    

A healthcare surrogate by proxy is a form that is signed dated and witnessed which names a person as your agent to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make them for yourself.  You can even have a second choice to back up the first choice if they are not available. 

Communication, decision making, and legal considerations are discussions that are needed between families to aid in establishing their personal choices. Physicians must frequently make critical medical decisions about care with the family and the final decision may not be agreed upon.  Each family member needs to have a voice to make an intelligent informed choice.

Be blessed.