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On Saturday, I sat down to the breakfast table with two waffles topped with butter, blueberries and syrup. The cranberry juice was straight-out-of-the-fridge cold. Ahhh… Life is good.
I opened the front section of the Chicago Tribune, perusing page-by-page until I arrived to the Letters to the Editor section. Hmm… The debate over end-of-life discussions has hit the Opinion page.
The catalyst was an opinion pieced printed the week before, written by Anne Moore, who believes our fears of dying drain dollars needlessly from the health care system. She advocates that we discuss how we want to die and then die just that way (simply, lovingly, surrounded by family). “In a study of terminally ill patients,” she writes, “one group received preventive care until death. The other group chose to be treated for pain with drugs, typically morphine, in a hospice setting. Which group lived longer? Patients treated only for pain lived 29 days more.”
I read through some of the responding letters but stopped, open-mouthed, dumb-founded, when I read one letter from a neurologist. Dr. Wasserman wrote that, as a neurologist, he is experienced with end-of-life care. As such, he objects heartily to Ms. Moore’s opinions. He refers to Hospice as “God’s waiting room.” (I think if we would ask God, He (or She) would call Hospice His (or Her) Good Work). Dr. Waserman writes, “as a doctor I feel compelled to do everything possible to maintain life, and if anything to err on the side of life rather than death. I hope there are enough of us to protest acceptance of end-of-life committees to plan our deaths.”
ARGH! Thank goodness I had finished my breakfast before reading his nonsense.
And, it is nonsense. Consider that, with Hospice services, about 75.9% of patients die in their residence (whatever that may be). Without, 50% die in an acute care facility (hospital). Hospice benefits are available for the last six months of an individual’s life. Unfortunately, most patients and their families only use Hospice for 59 days. And, that’s too bad.
I believe it’s often because of physicians like Dr. Wasserman. When I worked in nursing homes, we provided Hospice services to residents. The biggest barrier to residents’ usage of the service? Physicians. Doctors were just too cowardly to be honest and truthful with the residents and their families. And, that’s really unfortunate. The truth sets us free.
The Dr. Wassermans are why family members hold onto a cure when hope (hope for a loving death) is what’s needed. The Dr. Wassermans are why families misunderstand the point and purpose of Hospice and pass on the opportunity to provide the most comfortable and pain-free months for a family member prior to death. The Dr. Wassermans add to regrets after death rather than create the true healing (of relationships, heartaches, hurts) during life. When we know we are dying, we let the true healing begin.
Please hear my plaintiff plea today. It’s terrific to discuss your end-of-life care wishes with your family. Then, it’s awesome to discuss those same wishes with your health care providers so that your wishes come true. Discover that those health care providers can’t abide by your wishes (or a family member’s)? Get another. Physicians like Dr. Wasserman are motivated by a political belief and not an Hippocratic Oath. You, and your family, deserve better.
It’s just absolutely wonderful when Hospice provides the foundation for a terrific send-out for a family member. End-of-life care discussions are a true gift. Please continue to give and receive them. Truly, done correctly, death can be good.
