 | Tom Welk
DMin is Director of Pastoral Care & Professional Education at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice. He also teaches at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. He has certification with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors in Clinical Pastoral Education. His memberships include Park Ridge Center for Study of Health, Faith, and Ethics, and St. Louis University Center for Health Care Ethics, Charter Board Member Kansas Health Ethics, Inc., and Ethics Committee Member for National Hospice Organization. He has received the President's Award of Excellence for Public and Community Awareness, for the "Dying Well" project from The National Hospice Organization. Tom's group presentations include: Association of Kansas Hospices, Midwest Congress on Aging, and Kansas Health Ethics Conference. Tom Welk can be contacted by fax at (316) 265-6066, by e-mail at: twelk@hynesmemorial.org, or at his office at (316)219-1791. |
Hospice
2004-06-01 09:59:00
Discuss end-of-life issues now
Question: At what point should one discuss and/or decide end-of-life issues?
ANSWER: Life is a journey. As with all journeys, there is a beginning and there is an end. This journey is traveled on a variety of roadways. Some are easily traveled; some offer greater challenges to the traveler.Those roads that are the most challenging are also frequently the ones that holds the greatest excitement and can be a source of exhilaration --- if (and maybe that word should be capitalized) proper preparations are made. For example, it would be foolish to set out on a wilderness highway that holds promise for an exciting venture without adequate preparation and thereby court consequent disaster.Another analogy to journeying in life is that of a rafting excursion on a river. The particular river we have chosen for this float trip has a variety of conditions. For many stretches it is smooth flowing; the raft's progress is not challenged in any way; the passengers can sit back, totally relaxed while enjoying the sunshine, fresh air and scenery. But that same river also holds some rapids that turn this tranquilly flowing body of water into white water. And, indeed, this is why we got on the raft in the first place. We look forward to this challenging part of the journey down this river. It would be foolish, however, not to make preparations for the rapids. So we make sure the oars, the rudder, the ropes and all the safety gear are there for us to negotiate this dangerous yet exciting part of the trip.This can easily be applied to our life-journey. Most of that journey will be smooth sailing; the journey does not offer too many overwhelming challenges. Sometimes the trip can even be a bit boring. But we know without question that there will be challenges ahead; death is inevitable. What will this final part of the journey be like for each of us? Will it be one of dread and misery? Or will it be one that is exciting and life fulfilling?If we have made the necessary preparations, then it will likely be the latter. How will those preparations be made? What is without question is that the preparations will not take place without CONVERSATIONS taking place. We need to make clear to our loved ones what we want the final leg of our life's journey to be like. Among some of the topics to be discussed and resolved include the naming of someone who will make treatment decisions should we lose that ability; the type of care and place of death; details about funeral arrangements; the setting of death and the hospice program that will be involved.These are conversations that, unfortunately, rarely take place in the society in which we live. They may take place in a one-to-one conversation with a loved one; they can happen in family conversations; or in a variety of group settings, such as in the church, a civic club or even place of work.Making the necessary preparations will enable us to make every minute of life's journey as full and exciting as possible, especially the last part.
