The Importance of Talking about End-of-Life Care

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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By Samantha Wanner  [VITAS Healthcare]

Watch this short animation to learn why advance directives are so important.

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What Do You Want?

It’s not easy, but the medical treatments you would want near the end of life need to be discussed with others. If you never bring up the topic and you were unexpectedly incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself, your medical wishes would never be known.

Despite the topic’s importance, only 27% of Americans report having talked with their families about end-of-life care. The best way to make your medical wishes known is to create an advance directive and share it with your family and your doctor.

Advance Directives

An advance directive is actually two legal documents that enable you to plan and communicate your end-of-life wishes.  When you create your advance directive, you are being proactive about your medical care and sparing your loved ones from having to make difficult medical decisions in a time of crisis.

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end_of_life_infographic

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Assessment

Don’t wait for a crisis. Create your advance directive, share copies with your loved ones and doctor and keep your copy in an accessible location others can find.

Conclusion

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

            Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™    Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

Foreword by: J. WESLEY BOYD MD PhD MA

 Harvard Medical School

Yale University

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2 Responses

  1. Hope Hetico RN MHA, on October 10, 2016 at 6:35 PM said:

    Medicare Spent $11,393 per Hospice Beneficiary in 2014

    CMS recently released an analysis on hospice spending. Here are some key findings from the report:

    • In 2014, Medicare spent an average of $11,393 per hospice beneficiary.
    • There were 1.3 million hospice beneficiaries in 2014.
    • 11% had a live discharge from hospice care in 2014.
    • In 2014, 1 in 3 beneficiaries had more than 60 days of hospice care.
    • 13% had more than 180 days of hospice care in 2014.
    • South Carolina had the highest spending ($14,778) per hospice beneficiary.


    Source:     CMS, October 6, 2016

    Like

  2. Kyle, on October 8, 2019 at 6:18 PM said:

    Healthcare Without Intensive Services in Patient’s Final Month Cost $7,660

    JAMA recently published an analysis of costs associated with intensive end-of-life medical services among veterans. Here are some key findings from the report:

    • Beneficiary costs in the last month of life were $133 for patients with no intensive service.
    • For patients with at least 1 intensive service, beneficiary costs in the last month were $1257.
    • Those receiving no intensive service in the last month had a health system cost of $7,660.
    • 59% of patients receiving 1 or more intensive services in the last month had a cost of $23,612.

    Source: JAMA, September 27, 2019

    Like

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