There are a number of decisions a hospice patient and their family members may be called upon to make. While family members may offer advice and opinions with regard to medical decisions, ultimately it is the patient’s right to decide. Some of these decisions may involve estate planning documents including a will, a Durable Power of Attorney and a Declaration of Guardianship.  Also included will be the designation of a Power of Attorney for Health Care and a Directive to Physicians.

Of these the Directive to Physicians, also known as an Advance Directive or Living Will, is often the most difficult decision for the patient to make. This document allows the individual to state that, in the event they have an irreversible illness and further treatment would only serve to prolong life, but would not make the quality of life better, you would want the life-sustaining machines to be removed. Under a Directive to Physicians, the person is not giving authority to another person to make the decision to unhook life support systems, instead, you are making that decision through signing the Directive to Physicians.

Most persons, even those with a terminal condition, will often have such a strong will to live that this document is the most difficult to agree to. Perhaps a person will cite “what if” scenarios to reject or delay signing the document. Even though the individual may acknowledge the preference not to be “hooked up to machines” they still delay executing the document. Sometimes they delay to the point they are no longer able to make the decision and sign the document and the family is left with the decision to make.

When we think about doing what is best for ourselves and loving for our families, this is a decision to seriously consider. It is not an issue of “giving up” but living life well. These are individual decisions each of us should be willing to make for ourselves and our loved ones.

Steve Horton, LBSW

1) How long and how did you become a part of the Home Hospice/Nursing family?
Life works in round-about ways. When I first became licensed as a social worker I was employed by the state of Texas. When I left that position to return to teaching, I never believed I would work in any capacity as a social worker again, much less with a hospice organization. When first my dad and then my mother was on hospice service with Home Hospice, I gained an appreciation for the work done by those dedicated individuals; so much so that I commented that I would like to work for this organization. Now, after having been a member of the Home Hospice family for almost six years I have not altered my feeling.

2) What role do you have in enriching the lives of our patients/families? There is joy in visiting with patients and their family members and helping them in areas they are unfamiliar with.

3) If you are having a bad day, what do you do to make it better? Some days seem to arrive with issues that make them hard for me. On those occasions I consider the difficulties others have and the blessings I have and so, I am able to move ahead seeing the good ahead of the bad.

4) Describe your perfect vacation.
Vacations are rare and so the more enjoyable when they do come around. Having taken a train trip one Christmas I believe another, longer train trip would be very pleasurable; perhaps, the trans-Canadian going either east to west or the other way around.

5) What is a food you’d NEVER eat again?
Food when traveling is generally very good, but never again will I eat liver and onions!

6) What is the first thing you think of when you get up in the morning?
I love the work that I do and the time off that I may have, but every day upon awakening I reassure myself of what day it is and bless God that He has given me another day. The world is changing and we with it.

7) What song best describes your life?
Marty Robbins recorded the song “Man Walks Among Us” from the perspective of nature and serves me as a reminder of the temporary status we have here.

8) If your pet could talk, what 3 questions would you want the answers to?
Animals of all kinds abound, but not a one owns me. People often ask, “Do you have a dog? I don’t (or a pet of any kind; although at one time there were two cats in our house). Cats are different and I would wonder about them. “Why do you look at me like that” (are you just curious or are you hungry?). “What were you looking for when you crawled to the foot of the bed under all those covers?” (Maybe I shouldn’t care because you kept my feet warm). “Do you have a food fetish; ignoring expensive canned cat food for scraps?” Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so curious (like the cat?)

9) Would you rather have a PAUSE button or REWIND?Living life well is always important for each of us. I’ve been asked, would I do anything different or seek to change how things occurred in my life? Would I rewind my life and try to do things differently (or even better)? No, I really feel life’s been good; just not long enough. Maybe a pause button to let me enjoy those important things in life would add to my happiness.

10) What is your secret to a good life?
Living this life well now to live well in the next life is what is important to me.