The bottom line for patient care will only happen when you have prepared your wishes Dr.’s can understand what you desire and treat you well
Without clarity for all parties, you may not get the care you want.
Ask yourself, do I have a healthcare directive? These are especially helpful when you become elderly and unable to speak up for yourself. Or you are near your end of life. Have it added to your medical records.
As an advocate for yourself, the health directives or wishes will speak for you on your behalf. Especially if you do not want to be resuscitated.
- To restore consciousness or other signs of life to (one who appears dead).
- To restore to use, activity, vigor, or notice; reinvigorate.
- To revivify; to revive; especially, to recover or restore from apparent death
Verify if you want anyone to speak on your behalf if you are unable to. You’ve heard those stories of when the kids will say “Mom or Dad, would like not to suffer, and then, you have another person or child say,
“NO,” she/he would like to be resuscitated.. even after perhaps a major stroke.
I had a friend who was showing stroke symptoms, her friend took her to the doctor, they told her go to emergency. They went and they did a Cerebral angiogram.
(In this uncommonly used test, your doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through a small incision, usually in the groin, and guides it through the major arteries and into the carotid or vertebral artery. Then your doctor injects a dye into the blood vessels to make them visible under X-ray imaging. This procedure gives a detailed view of arteries in the brain and neck.)
Which Ellen, always said, say “no to this test.”
Her friend thought, Ellen said yes, the Dr.s’ gave her the test. She died. It just seemed strange that she died was it from the angiogram or something else? Why did they do this test if it’s uncommon?
This all happened because she didn’t have someone to speak on her behalf or didn’t have any health directives.
While you are coherent, review your directives, make sure to have proper authorization to disclosed your personal health information. Be objective with your wishes, who can read them and who needs permission.
In Canada, contact the CMPA if you have any questions, in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Northwest Territories “advance healthcare directives” in Newfoundland and Labrador; are called Health directives, “directive” in Yukon; and “representation agreement” in British Columbia.
In the USA they are called “health directives.” I found a website that lists all the states, you can download the health directives for your location.
I have written about this topic before, health directives.
Self care for yourself, is difficult for some of us, as we are always giving to others and we forget or just think others are more important than we are.
According to this definition, self-care includes everything related to staying physically healthy — including hygiene, nutrition, and seeking medical care when needed. It’s all the steps an individual can take to manage stressors in his or her life and take care of his or her own health and well-being.
Keep reading my posts.. sign-up… If you feel you would like more support from myself please reach out! Remember, the Bottom Line for Patient Care, depends upon you. Tell everyone what you want.
Blessings,