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Be an Advocate!
Tough Questions About Your Health CareWhen you’re faced with a life-and-death situation in the hospital, help is at hand
My mother is in great pain and on a ventilator. Would she want to live like this? My newborn son needs a major heart operation but is so premature he might not live anyway. Should I give my consent? My grandmother doesn't want to go to a nursing home, but I can't care for her either. Where do I turn? Making decisions about such complex issues became highly publicized in the 1970s through the case of Karen Ann Quinlan, a 21-year-old who lived in a vegetative state for a decade while her family argued for the right to remove her life support. In response to her situation, hospitals nationwide developed ethics committees, teams of medical professionals who discuss challenging cases and teach caregivers the best way to handle them. There are no easy answers—as the more recent case of Terry Schiavo made clear—but most hospitals today offer resources to ease the burden on families facing tough decisions. At Lehigh Valley Hospital, families can request an ethics consultation. Led by Vincent, who heads the hospital’s ethics committee, the patient’s family and care-giver meet with neutral observers, including a chaplain and a person specially educated in medical ethics. Together, they review the patient’s in-hospital care and offer recommendations. “Difficult questions usually don’t have clear-cut solutions,” Vincent says. “We allow all voices to be heard and give people the time to fully understand the condition of their loved one. We offer understanding and comfort, and try to help people feel more confident in their choices.” Whether you’re facing a health crisis or trying to help your loved one during an extended hospital stay, there are many resources available to you. Besides the ethics committee, they include: Case managers — Health professionals educated in nursing or social work, case managers help plan the transition from hospital to home (or skilled care facility) and also coordinate insurance issues. Pastoral care — Interfaith chaplains provide comfort, support and guidance if you’ve received bad news, are anxious or fearful, or just need a listening ear. Financial counselors — These professionals provide guidance if you have no health insurance or can’t afford to pay for your care. They can help you find out if you qualify for free or reduced-cost care, medications or even cafeteria vouchers. Palliative care — A total approach to caring for people with a serious illness or injury, palliative care is being developed at Lehigh Valley Hospital. The program will address patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Hospice — For patients with a prognosis of six months or less, the hospice team provides the loving care and support both patient and family need at the end of life.
Want to Know More? Ethical decisions are easier when there are “advance directives,” a document stating the patient’s preferences for end-of-life care. To receive “Five Wishes,” an easy-to-complete advance directives form,
call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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