Have It Your Way...Personal Values at End-of-Life
You live with certain beliefs all your life. Can you be certain your values will be upheld when your life is nearing its end? The answer is yes – if you have prepared your "advance directives."

Some people want every effort made to prolong their lives, while others feel just as strongly that they want no extreme measures. But because it can be difficult to confront one’s own mortality, many people never discuss these concerns as a family and never clearly – or legally – define their preferences.

Advanced Care Planning of Greenwich seeks to change that. This community-wide effort is a coalition made up of Greenwich Hospital, United Way of Greenwich, Greenwich Chaplaincy Services, plus the Greenwich Commission on Aging and Department of Health. The coalition is offering expert assistance on advance directives in a pilot program at Greenwich Hospital. Counseling and all necessary legal forms are provided free of charge.

"It’s not only about completing a living will," says Rev. Kitty Garlid, the hospital’s director of spiritual care. "The goal of our trained facilitators is to have in-depth conversations with people about their real wishes, so they can become comfortable with the issues and thoroughly consider their choices. It’s all about thinking through the kind of care you want when you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself." People are encouraged to consider details such as the qualities they want in a designated representative who will speak for them if they cannot speak for themselves.

With the complexity of today’s medical options, people need assurance that their choices will be honored and respected. "Many people don’t understand that a hospital is legally bound to take certain actions if their directives are not defined," says Rev. Garlid. Without proper documentation, the healthcare team may be left without clear direction consistent with the patient’s lifelong values. Or, family members may disagree about what their loved one would truly want. "As facilitators," she adds, "we have no bias. We’re here to help you accomplish the outcome you want."

If you would like to learn more, you are invited to stop by at the weekly counseling sessions.