WEBVTT 00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:03.160 Welcome to the Light Keepers Podcast. I'm Clayton 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:05.620 Vandiver, your Light Keeper, with a show dedicated 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:08.179 to everyone who wants to get the most quality 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:11.359 out of life that they can. My co -host as always, 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:13.900 Charlene, our licensed clinical social worker 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:15.960 in the state of Florida, joining the conversation 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:20.179 this week about people who don't quite get the 00:00:20.179 --> 00:00:23.699 whole picture. And so much more on this edition 00:00:23.699 --> 00:00:55.420 of the Light Keepers Podcast. And before we start, 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:57.399 please leave your questions or comments below. 00:00:57.500 --> 00:00:59.899 We love to hear from you. Questions this week 00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:01.939 will be answered during our show that appears 00:01:01.939 --> 00:01:05.859 online every Wednesday evening at 7 p .m. Eastern, 00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.700 both audio and on YouTube. The Light Keepers 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:12.060 Podcast is an exclusive production of A Guiding 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:14.859 Light. We'll tell you more about that great organization 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:17.280 at the end of the podcast. But we don't have 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:20.159 much time. Let's get right into this week's conversation 00:01:20.159 --> 00:01:23.680 about people who don't have the whole picture. 00:01:24.170 --> 00:01:26.769 Charlene, what in the world are we talking about? 00:01:27.109 --> 00:01:30.769 So we're talking about well -meaning individuals 00:01:30.769 --> 00:01:36.010 or organizations who host events where people 00:01:36.010 --> 00:01:39.109 can come and get information about their advanced 00:01:39.109 --> 00:01:42.069 directives. Okay, like the Five Wishes? Like 00:01:42.069 --> 00:01:46.049 the Five Wishes. Okay. But these events are being 00:01:46.049 --> 00:01:49.590 hosted by people who don't have any medical training. 00:01:52.010 --> 00:01:56.569 Their intentions are good. They are trying to 00:01:56.569 --> 00:02:01.310 do the right thing, but they may not be showing 00:02:01.310 --> 00:02:05.969 the full picture. I see. So when you get the 00:02:05.969 --> 00:02:09.030 five wishes, and I wish we had one of those documents 00:02:09.030 --> 00:02:11.229 in front of us right now. Are you familiar enough 00:02:11.229 --> 00:02:13.830 with it to tell us what the five wishes are? 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:16.439 Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I may not get them 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:18.139 in the right order, but I can tell you what. 00:02:19.219 --> 00:02:22.259 And first of all, the five wishes is a little 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:25.819 deceptive because it's not about five wishes. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:28.199 There are actually only three. Well, for folks 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:31.120 who don't. have never heard of the Five Wishes 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:33.319 before. Tell us what that's all about. So the 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:37.240 Five Wishes is an advance directive that is legally 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.759 binding in almost all 50 states. I think last 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:44.400 time I checked it was legally binding in 46 or 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:48.180 47. And just to break it down for those who really 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:50.120 aren't familiar with it, what's an advance directive? 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:53.620 An advance directive is a document that outlines 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:55.780 the type of medical treatment that you would 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.400 want if you were to become seriously ill and 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:00.879 no longer able to make your own medical decisions. 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:05.419 Ah, so when communication fails or mental capacity 00:03:05.419 --> 00:03:07.680 fails, you're unable to make decisions. Or if 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.939 you're injured and unconscious. Unconscious. 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:14.689 Okay, so... Communication has failed. The ability 00:03:14.689 --> 00:03:17.289 to tell the doctors what you want done or not 00:03:17.289 --> 00:03:21.430 done is no longer possible, but the five wishes 00:03:21.430 --> 00:03:24.770 can speak for you. Absolutely. Any advanced directive, 00:03:24.969 --> 00:03:27.250 and an advanced directive usually consists of 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:31.189 two parts. A living will, not to be confused 00:03:31.189 --> 00:03:33.469 with a last will and testament. Last will and 00:03:33.469 --> 00:03:37.150 testament, property and finances. Living will, 00:03:37.370 --> 00:03:41.189 medical and health. Ah, well, there you go. We 00:03:41.189 --> 00:03:44.090 may have to do a whole show about that. And we 00:03:44.090 --> 00:03:49.289 might speak with an elder care attorney or someone 00:03:49.289 --> 00:03:52.729 who really knows those wills inside. Of course, 00:03:52.770 --> 00:03:54.669 you know them inside and out, but they might 00:03:54.669 --> 00:03:56.949 know some nuances that we can share with the 00:03:56.949 --> 00:03:59.789 audience. They know the legal side, but even 00:03:59.789 --> 00:04:03.229 they might not be able to provide the medical 00:04:03.229 --> 00:04:06.580 guidance that can be very helpful. when talking 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:09.860 about the advanced directive, the living will. 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:13.419 Absolutely. But that's exactly what we're talking 00:04:13.419 --> 00:04:16.379 about is how some people, elder law attorneys, 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:21.199 churches, seniors groups. Good point. These are 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:24.040 places who oftentimes encourage people to be 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:26.339 prepared by having their documents in order, 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:29.279 but they may not be able to provide the ins and 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.920 outs of. getting that document in order. And 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:35.180 when they're well -meaning, they're intending 00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:38.980 best for their parishioners or their community 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:42.300 members who come in, but they don't necessarily 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:44.680 have the training, the knowledge, the expertise 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.759 to nuance all of those other things. Now, what 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:51.560 else besides the five wishes? Oh, we were going 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:54.259 to say what the five wishes were. So the five 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:59.060 wishes consist of identifying your values in 00:04:59.060 --> 00:05:01.579 life, the things that are important to you. When 00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:04.500 I talk to people about the things that are important 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:07.300 to them, how they define that good quality of 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:11.980 life, most of the time what comes out is, I don't 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:15.360 want to be confined to a bed. So bedridden apparently 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.560 is a big deal, but that's just an example of 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:21.120 what they mean by value, quality of life statement. 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:24.740 So you want to talk about your values. You want 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:27.149 to talk about... who you trust to make those 00:05:27.149 --> 00:05:30.470 decisions for you. And then you get down to the 00:05:30.470 --> 00:05:32.730 three wishes that are specifically about your 00:05:32.730 --> 00:05:36.610 medical treatment. And those usually, like with 00:05:36.610 --> 00:05:39.689 the five wishes, it's would you want to be maintained 00:05:39.689 --> 00:05:42.170 on life support if you were nearing the end of 00:05:42.170 --> 00:05:45.209 your life, if you were permanently unconscious, 00:05:45.769 --> 00:05:49.649 or if you were in a state of permanent confusion. 00:05:51.550 --> 00:06:01.009 So in a nutshell, Terminally ill, coma, dementia. 00:06:01.709 --> 00:06:05.449 I mean, that pretty much sums it up right down 00:06:05.449 --> 00:06:08.930 the line. Now, the five wishes is not the only 00:06:08.930 --> 00:06:10.790 advance directive out there. A lot of states 00:06:10.790 --> 00:06:14.569 have their own documents. It doesn't have to 00:06:14.569 --> 00:06:17.970 be super specific. You can go online and download 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:21.370 one. The key thing is you want to make sure that 00:06:21.370 --> 00:06:25.279 it's witnessed and notarized. That's what makes 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:29.480 it official. That's an important step. I wonder 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:34.019 if when those communities or parishes have those 00:06:34.019 --> 00:06:36.920 gatherings and talk about doing that, I wonder 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:39.720 if they finalize that step or just send folks 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:41.759 home saying, take this to your local bank or 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:45.279 savings and loan and have them notarize it for 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:50.899 you. And then it gets misfiled, never gets finalized. 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:54.819 That can happen. But the more important part 00:06:54.819 --> 00:06:58.120 of that is, you know, a lot of times these organizations, 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:01.680 these communities, they're providing this document 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.680 so that people can be more prepared or maybe 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:06.959 to at least start the conversation. Because it's 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:09.139 a difficult conversation that some people find 00:07:09.139 --> 00:07:11.620 uncomfortable. Nobody likes to talk about it. 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:15.680 But it is important to talk about because otherwise 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.600 nobody's going to know what you would want. But 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.680 the problem is, is these are people that might 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:23.980 not have the medical training. to be able to 00:07:23.980 --> 00:07:26.339 answer the questions that might come up. So for 00:07:26.339 --> 00:07:30.699 example, what is life support? Do you know what 00:07:30.699 --> 00:07:34.819 life support is? Not the technical definition. 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:37.800 When I think life support, I think of a lot of 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:44.160 tubes and wires and a hospital bed. And I see 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:46.319 a lot of things happening, but not usually with 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.800 the patient themselves. They're usually out at 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.860 that point. Right. So if someone were to say 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:54.819 to you, Would you want life support if you were 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:58.240 in a coma? Would you even know what you're saying 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:02.339 yes or no to? Well, it would help to have a medical 00:08:02.339 --> 00:08:06.680 expert or social worker there who could define 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.839 the terms. Exactly. It's hard to make any real 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.319 decision in life. And I know the attorneys out 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:15.360 there will be nodding their heads right now because 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:17.519 the English language is very important to their 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.379 trade. That if you don't define the terms. You 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:23.459 don't know what you're agreeing to. Exactly. 00:08:23.459 --> 00:08:26.579 Even about yourself. Exactly. And considering 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:29.100 the fact that this is medical treatment that 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:32.580 could save your life or prolong your life in 00:08:32.580 --> 00:08:34.860 a condition that you would not want to live in. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:40.639 In other words, you're able to more take control 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:44.019 of, as this is what we're all about, is letting 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:46.440 people live their lives with more control over 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:49.000 the choices. and the quality of life that they're 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:53.580 enjoying at any stage in life, not just at the 00:08:53.580 --> 00:08:55.659 end of life or not just when you're on a life 00:08:55.659 --> 00:08:59.220 support, but anytime. If you have the knowledge 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:02.460 to make good decisions along the way, you make 00:09:02.460 --> 00:09:04.679 better decisions. That's what the show is all 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:08.019 about. Absolutely. And it can be a simple thing. 00:09:08.179 --> 00:09:10.460 It can be a simple thing. I was speaking to someone 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:13.539 the other day who had a relative who went in 00:09:13.539 --> 00:09:16.860 for a simple joint replacement surgery. And while 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:20.139 under anesthesia, had a stroke. Oh, wow. Okay, 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:23.259 so we're talking simple procedure, minimal risk, 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:27.519 catastrophic outcome. And had that individual 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.899 not had advanced directives, the family wouldn't 00:09:30.899 --> 00:09:34.700 have known what to do. I understand. Well, when 00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:39.460 these community centers or churches have these 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:43.519 meetings and... And have these folks go home 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:45.279 thinking they're all covered, they're all set, 00:09:45.379 --> 00:09:46.700 they're all ready, they have everything they 00:09:46.700 --> 00:09:50.519 need. And what else could they possibly be getting 00:09:50.519 --> 00:09:53.279 that they're missing out on? What other advanced 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:57.399 directives, if you will? As infinite as the World 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:00.440 Wide Web is, so are the documents that you could 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:04.500 download and complete. Wow. For example... Because 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:06.299 I know every day you're filling out documents 00:10:06.299 --> 00:10:09.190 for patients that... have a lot more complexity 00:10:09.190 --> 00:10:13.230 than just those basic three or five wishes. Very 00:10:13.230 --> 00:10:17.750 true. Very true. In some states, there is a document 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:20.409 called a post, which is a physician order for 00:10:20.409 --> 00:10:23.690 sustaining treatment. And for some states, that 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:26.210 is their version of a do not resuscitate form, 00:10:26.330 --> 00:10:29.649 which is what you want when you do not want them 00:10:29.649 --> 00:10:35.990 to do CPR on you. So in Florida, it's a do not 00:10:35.990 --> 00:10:40.129 resuscitate. in some states it's a post physician 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:42.330 order for sustaining treatment and the post actually 00:10:42.330 --> 00:10:47.370 goes into a lot more detail for example beyond 00:10:47.370 --> 00:10:49.730 whether or not you would want to be resuscitated 00:10:49.730 --> 00:10:53.909 it will also ask what level of care do you want 00:10:53.909 --> 00:10:56.590 if you're hospitalized do you want comfort only 00:10:57.480 --> 00:11:00.259 Are you willing to accept selective treatment, 00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:03.779 which usually includes antibiotics or IV hydration? 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.740 Oh, there are a lot of choices. Or do you want 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:10.000 everything, which includes ICU, ventilator, feeding 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:15.360 tube, all that yucky stuff? Well, you see, folks 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:17.840 who didn't have that technical knowledge wouldn't 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:20.340 even know to ask those questions and certainly 00:11:20.340 --> 00:11:21.899 wouldn't have forms in front of them for you 00:11:21.899 --> 00:11:25.580 to fill out. So it isn't that those... community 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:29.600 or or institute religious institution -based 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:33.179 meetings civic organizations it's not that you 00:11:33.179 --> 00:11:36.919 shouldn't do that but if you do that you may 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:41.840 want to consider seeking out some more information 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:45.059 and some more forms and maybe finding out if 00:11:45.059 --> 00:11:48.919 that is everything that you might want and to 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:50.840 find that out who's the best person to go to 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:54.019 so what i would strongly recommend is reaching 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:58.600 out to a local hospice or a local hospital and 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:02.379 asking. Some hospitals have their own advance 00:12:02.379 --> 00:12:05.220 directive that only applies for that hospital. 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:09.340 So a hospice might be a better route to go in 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:12.820 that case. If you want to just keep it simple, 00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:15.919 look online at the Five Wishes website. See if 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:18.399 you're one of the 40 some odd states that it 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:23.700 covers. There are other booklets out there. For 00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:26.399 example, in Florida, there's also the Honoring 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:33.000 Choices booklet, which is good. My professional 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.690 opinion is it asks too many questions. tries 00:12:36.690 --> 00:12:39.090 to go into a little too much detail. Could be 00:12:39.090 --> 00:12:41.289 overly complex. I can't imagine a government 00:12:41.289 --> 00:12:43.649 agency providing anything that's overly complex. 00:12:43.950 --> 00:12:48.389 So the Five Wishes is very simple, and more importantly... 00:12:48.389 --> 00:12:50.490 Is that a political statement? We don't go there. 00:12:50.690 --> 00:12:54.929 Okay. But the Five Wishes is a good document 00:12:54.929 --> 00:12:58.570 because it's clear, it's simple, but even in 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:02.070 its simplicity... there can be questions that 00:13:02.070 --> 00:13:04.789 unless you have that medical background, you 00:13:04.789 --> 00:13:08.590 may not be able to answer. So what I would recommend 00:13:08.590 --> 00:13:13.389 to these religious organizations or civic groups, 00:13:13.549 --> 00:13:16.129 anybody who's planning on hosting an event like 00:13:16.129 --> 00:13:20.080 that, beyond researching the document, contact 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:22.919 your local hospice or your local hospital and 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:25.379 ask them if they have a social worker that can 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:28.440 come out and maybe sit at the event to answer 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:31.360 questions. Oh, that's a great idea. Provide a 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:34.340 little bit of professional insight and someone 00:13:34.340 --> 00:13:36.519 there just to answer questions if people have 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.399 them. Absolutely. And perhaps even to provide 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:41.740 a few documents that may go above and beyond 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:46.059 if someone wants that. Absolutely. Of course, 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:49.100 this is all a highly personal choice. No conversation 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:51.980 that we have on the Light Keepers podcast should 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:54.820 ever take the place of your own medical care 00:13:54.820 --> 00:13:58.840 team or other medical professional advisor who 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.580 should always be consulted by you on your specific 00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:04.620 situational needs. It's always good to be willing 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:07.259 to talk about quality of life because, well, 00:14:07.340 --> 00:14:09.500 every single one of us will face some of these 00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:12.779 issues someday. And you may either not be prepared 00:14:12.779 --> 00:14:16.299 at all or very well prepared indeed for joining 00:14:16.299 --> 00:14:19.159 us here right here on the Light Keepers podcast 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:22.639 every Wednesday at 7 p .m. Eastern. This is an 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.320 exclusive production of Animation Studios brought 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.980 to you by Guiding Light. Now, that's a non -profit 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:31.360 organization dedicated to this very kind of education 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.100 and information that allows informed preparation 00:14:34.100 --> 00:14:38.320 for living the very best life possible. So if 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:41.600 you'd like to support A Guiding Light and some 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.039 of the grants and educational scholarships that 00:14:44.039 --> 00:14:47.500 they provide, you can visit aguidinglight .org 00:14:47.500 --> 00:14:50.340 on their website or make a tax -deductible contribution 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:54.080 right here at the address that's on your screen 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:58.379 and on both our audio and our YouTube podcasts. 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:02.159 There is a QR code you can click on with your 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:04.990 smartphone. That'll take you... to where you 00:15:04.990 --> 00:15:07.330 need to go with PayPal and you can make a donation. 00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:10.029 Be sure to appreciate that. Speaking of that, 00:15:10.070 --> 00:15:12.169 hit the like and subscribe buttons. It's free. 00:15:12.470 --> 00:15:15.409 Turn on that notify bell so you'll catch every 00:15:15.409 --> 00:15:18.830 single episode. I'm Clayton Vandiver, your Light 00:15:18.830 --> 00:15:21.029 Keeper. We'll see you next time.