Close to Home: It always seems too early, until it’s too late

The rationale for choosing today to highlight the importance of making advance health-care decisions goes back more than 300 years. In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, 'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.' And since April 15 is Tax Day, the following day seemed like the logical choice for a day to focus on end-of-life planning.

That's why, across the country, today is being recognized as National Healthcare Decisions Day.

While making health-care decisions is often difficult in the best of circumstances, making decisions for others is even more complicated. But everyone has the ability to help guide health-care providers and loved ones with an advance health-care directive.

An advance health-care directive is a legal document that details whom you wish to make medical decisions for you and what treatments you would want or not want, if you are ever not able to tell others what you want for yourself. In fact, 50 percent of us will be unable to speak for ourselves in a medical emergency. Thus we are reminding all people, regardless of age or current health, of the importance of making these decisions known in advance of any emergency that may happen.

With the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, Congress affirmed the right of every citizen to set forth future health-care wishes in writing with an advance health-care directive. Yet, several studies suggest that only about 25 percent of Americans have done so. Because advance health-care directives can be created without a lawyer, for free, and relatively easily, this figure is astonishingly low.

To try to remedy this, My Care, My Plan: Speak Up Sonoma County, a local Advance Care Planning Community Initiative formed in 2014 to encourage people to speak up about how they want to be treated in any medical situation in which they are unable or unwilling to speak for themselves, joins organizations across the country in promoting National Healthcare Decisions Day.

This year's theme, 'It always seems too early, until it's too late,' captures the primary goal of My Care, My Plan — for people to think and talk about the kind of care they want now, before a crisis occurs, and record these wishes in writing.

This can best be done with advance care planning, a process of reflection and communication that involves exploring your wishes, expressing your wishes and preparing others to honor your wishes. It is a conversation that takes place over time and is better done in the living room rather than a hospital room. Most important, it is a process for everyone, not just the elderly or those who are seriously ill.

Sounds easy enough, but, obviously, many people find reasons to put off this important conversation that probably isn't on most people's list of favorite things to do. It's scary to think about being seriously ill, dying or having a loved one die. Understanding the options modern medicine offers can be confusing, and trying to consider all the possible scenarios can be overwhelming. That's why talking with others — your physician, your family, your loved ones — is key to successful planning and to documenting wishes for life support treatment and end-of-life care — the ultimate gift you can give to loved ones.

This important subject is the focus of the acclaimed PBS Frontline program 'Being Mortal,' based on the best-selling book by Dr. Atul Gawande. Our group, in partnership with West County Health Centers, the Sebastopol Area Senior Center and the Rialto Theater, will host a special free screening of this insightful documentary at the Rialto in Sebastopol at 1 p.m. on Thursday. For more information, go to www.mycaremyplansonoma.org.

Jane Eckels is chairwomen of the 'My Care, My Plan: Speak Up Sonoma County' Steering Committee.