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The Five Wishes form is an effective way to deal with end-of-life issues
The Five Wishes form is an effective way to deal with end-of-life issuesDate published: 8/14/2005 HEN THE END came, all he wanted was for someone to hold his hand and listen to his war stories. An 80-year-old veteran with cancer, he had been a Hospice Support Care patient for 18 months and was estranged from his family. Judy Murphy, executive director of the Fredericksburg agency, persuaded him to fill out a Five Wishes advance directive. "We had to make a judgment call because he did not have a primary caregiver," she said. "He did not have any relative who would take on this responsibility." Murphy said her patient requested three things: He wanted to be pain-free, he didn't want life support used and he didn't want to die alone. "He was looking for peace of mind," she said. When the end came, Murphy arranged to have someone with the man at all times. "That's why the Five Wishes is so helpful," she said. "Patients are allowed to direct what would be most comforting to them." The Five Wishes document is a living will created by Aging with Dignity, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the elderly. It has five parts: Wish 1 encourages patients to choose someone who will make health-care decisions for them if they are no longer able. Wish 2 covers the kind of medical treatment the patient wants or doesn't want. Wish 3 allows patients to request a level of comfort and ask to be kept pain-free and clean. Wish 4 details how patients want to be treated, including whether they want family members at their bedside, and if they want to be talked to or have their hand held. Wish 5 gives patients the opportunity to list things they want their family members to know, detailing everything from burial or memorial requests to asking for forgiveness for past wrongs. Many local hospices and hospitals encourage their patients to fill out an advance directive like the Five Wishes. Bette Goglia, chaplain at Mary Washington Home Health and Hospice, gives incoming patients a Five Wishes form as part of their admissions packet. She takes copies of Five Wishes with her when doing community presentations. "We spend so much time planning for a wedding and for the birth of a child," she said. "But when it comes to life and death, we would much rather deal with life."
Date published: 8/14/2005
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