False Memories May Complicate Advance Directives
Reported in the ScienceDaily, a study appearing in the journal Health Psychology addressed the use of advance directives and living wills. Disturbingly, researchers say that many people don't remember what their wishes were at the time they made their advance directive, and hold false memories of their end-of-life preferences.
“Living wills are a noble idea and can often be very helpful in decisions that must be made near the end of life. But the notion that you can just fill out a document and all your troubles will be solved, a notion that is frequently reinforced in the popular media, is seriously misguided,” said Peter Ditto, professor of psychology and social behavior at UCI> [University of California - Irvine].The study appears to indicate discussions about end-of-life decisions should be ongoing.
Labels: end-of-life
Posted by: HFA permalink
2 Comments:
Wow! This is a very sobering indicator of just how high the bar needs to be for good end-of-life communication. I had always thought, once an advance directive was filled out, the battle was won, so to speak. But hearing this, it makes complete sense. As the circumstances of your life and health change, why wouldn't your wishes change? We really need to get better at talking about death so we can get to the point that we can all have open, ongoing dialogue about it.
I'm glad you mentioned the issues that can arise with living wills. It's not a cure-all, and they're not always honored at hospitals, etc.
It's just best to realize that a doctor of hospital may not be able to follow your wishes (or implied wishes), and you, as a family member/caregiver must be there to make sure your loved one's wishes are respected.
~Carol D. O'Dell
Author of Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir
available on Amazon
www.mothering-mother.com
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