Lancaster Physician Spring 2021 - 11

SPRING 2021

C

OVID-19 has now caused the
loss of over 500,000 of our
loved ones, colleagues, friends,
and community members. One
of the tragedies is the devastation for family
members who have had to make difficult
decisions about life-saving treatments when
their loved one couldn't speak for themselves.
Sharing your wishes for end-of-life care
with your trusted loved ones is the best
gift you can give them during this difficult
pandemic, and really at any time. It is an
enduring conversation that is never forgotten. It comforts and reassures our family
members that they are doing the right thing
at the right time during a difficult period.
Families are grateful for the peace of mind
when they know and can carry out their loved
one's wishes about their care. Families realize
the true value of this gift of conversation
long after their loved one has gone.
Horizon Planning is WellSpan's initiative
for advance care planning. The free, self-directed program educates people about how
to have end-of-life care conversations with
loved ones and the types of decisions that
need to be made. The free packet of materials
is available to anyone from any health system.
For physicians, advance care planning
conversations can deepen relationships with
patients and their families. Dr. Keith Wright,
a physician at WellSpan Family Health -
Georgetown, in Lancaster County, shared
with me that having these conversations
brings relief to patients. It demonstrates
concern and respect for the patient, which is
at the forefront of a physician's relationship
with patients. These discussions also have the
potential to greatly reduce stress on families
facing the potential loss of their loved one.
It is comforting to patients to know that
their wishes have been expressed and will be
followed if they are not able to make their
own health care decisions.
Dr. Andre F. Lijoi, associate program
director of a WellSpan Family Medicine
Residency program in York, shared that
having an advance care planning discussion
with family members is a gift we all can give
to our loved ones, as it eases the discussion

Sharing your wishes for end-of-life care
with your trusted loved ones is the best
gift you can give them during this difficult
pandemic, and really at any time.
if not the decision making. These decisions
are complex, and it is unfair to leave them
to unprepared family members. Bringing
together the knowledge of the science of
medicine with the knowledge of our patients
positions us to greatly help our patients and
families in times like this. Patients who have
undergone the process know the value of it.
A WellSpan patient recently shared, " I
received a few Five Wishes® packets last year. I
wanted to let you know we completed the
packets with our mom and dad. When my
dad passed away and the doctor was asking
us end-of-life questions, it gave us great
comfort to understand and be able to honor
dad's wishes. I believe it also gave our dad
comfort knowing we had his plan. I want
to thank you for the wonderful service you
provide to our community. "
As physicians, how do you facilitate these
discussions? We realize that too many in our
community avoid these important conversations because they do not know where
to start. They delay because they do not
understand what questions to ask or what
life support really means. The documents
may seem confusing and elusive. Research
clearly shows that 90 percent of people
who are seriously ill want to have an endof-life conversation with their physician,
but only 17 percent have done so because
they are waiting for the physician to start
the discussion. The physician's dilemma is:
" How do I bring hope while considering
the worst outcome? " Work for the best but
prepare for the worst.
WellSpan's Horizon Planning initiative
offers tips and forms that help individuals
plan, organize, and record those decisions.
The tips include a Conversation Starter

LANCASTER

11

PHYSICIAN

Kit®, which helps people organize and talk
about their wishes with loved ones. Advance
Directive forms are in the " Five Wishes® "
booklet, which includes a living will form,
a durable power of attorney for health care
form, and a place to explain wishes for afterdeath plans. It does not require an attorney
or notary in Pennsylvania to finalize these
forms, only the signature of two witnesses.
WellSpan Health also can provide a
POLST (Pennsylvania Orders for Life
Sustaining Treatment) form that can be completed by a physician and used for treatments
during emergency transport during the last
year of life. All these documents should be
submitted to a primary care provider and
the person's hospital to become part of the
individual's health record.
Within the WellSpan system, we are
training members of our health care teams
to have these important discussions with
their patients and to assist them in ensuring
their wishes are a part of their electronic
health record.
For more information, please call our
Horizon Planning staff at 717-812-6065.
If you would like to receive a Horizon
Planning packet including the Five Wishes
booklet, please visit our website at wellspan.
org/horizonplanning for an order form.
Lancaster Physician Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Spring 2021
