HEALTH CARE
UNFORTUNATE REMINDERS OF
WHY YOU SHOULD PLAN
Rafael J. Sciullo
JULY/AUGUST 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 121
The recent months of the COVID-19
public health emergency have been
an unfortunate, stark reminder to
those of us who work in health care
as to why it’s so crucial for people to plan
ahead. These recent events reinforce the
need for us to highlight the importance of
documenting your health care wishes in
advance so your loved ones and caregivers
can honor your instructions in case you
become incapacitated. For anyone at any
age, a health emergency or sudden illness
can happen anytime. As we’ve recently
seen around the globe, we can suddenly
find ourselves in a state of emergency.
These are the most important reasons why
you should have a plan in place that makes
your health care wishes known.
The best way to document your wishes
is to write them down in a living will. A
living will is a statement about the kind of
medical treatment you do or do not want
to receive. It can only be used if you are no
longer able to speak for yourself, and it can
be revised any time your wishes change.
According to a 2017 study in Health Affairs,
only 30% of Americans have a living will.
Figures were similar among both healthy
adults and patients with chronic illnesses.
Empath Health helps families create,
communicate and honor important
medical care wishes using a process called
advance care planning. This thoughtful
planning involves learning about your
options, deciding what works best for
you and choosing a decision maker who
will speak for you when you are unable
to do so. The most important part of this
process is talking with your loved ones
and health care professionals about your
wishes. While this conversation isn’t easy,
it’s invaluable for everyone involved.
Empath Health offers advance care
planning across our integrated network
of care for those facing advanced or chronic
illness. It is crucial that these plans be put
in writing, verbalized and be accessible to
physicians and other health care providers
who will be responsible for care, as well
as family members and other loved ones,
so they will be clear about your wishes.
To increase public awareness, we also
have experts who go into the community
to educate people about the process of
advance care planning. While we are
not doing this type of outreach during
the current pandemic, we continue to
communicate this important message in
other ways.
When you have a plan and talk to
your loved ones about it, you spare them
unnecessary stress and give them peace of
mind in knowing they are following your
wishes. The person you choose to carry out
your wishes when you can’t make them
yourself is called a health care surrogate.
By choosing someone to be your health care
surrogate you give your plan a voice. This
individual will be responsible for carrying
out your wishes even if he or she doesn’t
agree with them. Choosing the person you
trust to make your health care decisions for
you when you can’t is the most important
part of creating a plan.
Every adult should have a living will.
You don’t necessarily need one because
you have a terminal illness; you need one
because you have loved ones who want to
carry out your wishes in a way that honors
you. I encourage you to contact us about
how we can help you develop what could
be your life’s most important plan. For
more information, visit EmpathHealth.org
and click on the Advance Care Planning tab
on the left. We have many resources there to
provide more information and to help get
you started. If you have specific questions
about the planning process, please contact
Kelly Siegel at (727) 735-8743. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rafael J. Sciullo is president
and CEO of Empath Health, a nonprofit
integrated network of care for those affected
by chronic or advanced illness. For more
information about services, call (727) 467-7423
or visit EmpathHealth.org.
By Rafael J. Sciullo
/EmpathHealth.org
/EmpathHealth.org