Q: Your book title says it pretty directly: “The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can’t.” Why did you write it?
A: I wanted to empower caregivers who are struggling to make the difficult decisions for those without mental capacity.
Q: What should providers know?
A: Just because someone has lost the ability to make his or her own decisions doesn’t mean you should ignore their advance directive for healthcare. The person’s wishes and values should be honored.
Q: What if, cognitively, a resident can’t make decisions 100% for himself or herself?
A: We should include the person in the smaller, less risky decisions, and then step in when it comes to the higher level decisions.
Q: What should providers do better?
A: Remember that it is the resident who will feel the consequences of our decisions. When it comes to quality of life, we have to step into the resident’s experience.
More information about this publication is available at www.TheCaregiversPath.com.
From the November 01, 2010 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
