#Eileen O’Shea DNP APRN PCNS-BC CHPPN

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Advance care planning — we can take control

Gina Petersen, MSN, RN, CHPN

Kanarek Center for Palliative Care Leadership Team at the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies:

Robin Kanarek, BSN, RN

Eileen O’Shea, DNP, APRN, PCNS-BC, CHPPN

Diana Mager, DNP,  RN-BC

Donna Coletti, MD, MS, FACOG

As the global pandemic impacts every aspect of our lives, we experience an array of emotions. While we distance from one another physically, a tangible fear lives within each of us; yet, just as strongly, we feel a sense of hope.

Since its founding in 2017, the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care (KCPC) has been dedicated to advancing the knowledge, behavior, and skills of our students, faculty, staff, and broader community about quality care for individuals with serious illness. Our purpose has not changed despite the changing times; instead, it remains clear. The necessity of advance care planning has surfaced in headlines in light of the pandemic. This may seem unnatural, as our innate skills of survival now demand our attention to protect us from our mortality, rather than plan for its arrival.

Uncertainty brings a unique struggle to each of us, often accompanied by existential questions: How can I contribute to society? What brings my life meaning? What do I value? What does a good day look like for me – today? How do recent events change how I would want to receive care? How does it change how I would like my life honored or remembered?

Viktor Frankl affirms that in even the most unfortunate of circumstances, humans can find meaning. This crisis calls for us to redefine the meaning and experience of survival: we must prioritize self-care today, as well as plan our future self-care to guide our loved ones if we become unable to speak for ourselves. We can take control.

As you stock your pantry, the new norm — consider how you can stock your loved ones with knowledge of your values and wishes if your personal stores become inaccessible. Create space to reflect on these questions and discuss them – in person, over the phone, or by video chat. How you want to be cared for matters and should not be an assumption or a guess. The Conversation Project guide lists three things you can do right now to start or continue the conversation about your future care. It will allow you to take control and provide you with comfort knowing you are making a valuable contribution to yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

Understanding the difficulties, we are engaging in these conversations alongside you with our own loved ones. The KCPC is committed and here to support you in your efforts. COVID-19 has brought profound suffering, but it has also allowed our skies and water to clear. As we plan to celebrate Earth Day as intended this year, join us in supporting National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16, by completing a living will and appointing a healthcare proxy. Here are two options; choose whichever document speaks to you: Connecticut Advance Directive or Five Wishes. Let us all take responsibility for our present and future self-care, together. One day, our loved ones will thank us.