Goals of Share

The weekly recap from How To Train Your Doctor​

Happy Sunday, Reader!

I'm a casual Taylor Swift fan at best. But like the rest of the world I still heard about her engagement announcement this week. And that reminded me of a very common conversation I have in the hospital - surrogate decision making.

Surrogate decision making refers to making medical decisions for another person - typically when that person has lost the capacity to make decisions for themselves either temporarily or permanently. And who gets tapped in to make medical decisions for someone else follows a specific hierarchy outlined by whatever state you live in.

If you're dealing with a serious illness, it's a good idea to think about who you would want to make decisions for you if you couldn't do that yourself. Is the person you're thinking of the same person that the state would name by default? Either way, the best way to empower your backup decision maker is through a healthcare power of attorney. Talk to your medical team (or your palliative team) to learn more, or check out sites like https://prepareforyourcare.org/en/prepare/welcome or https://theconversationproject.org/ !

Have a wonderful week,

Matt

This week's posts

How married impacts your medical decisions In most states, your spouse is your default medical decision maker. But is that the best choice for you? ​ Watch Video

More planning today, less suffering tomorrow Questions you can ask your doctor today to be better prepared for tomorrow ​ Watch Video

Services

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Resources

I'm often asked: "How do I find a palliative care team in my area?" A great starting point is the directory over at Get Palliative Care. Just type in your zip code and see what's out there!

Merch

Do you wish the palliative fairy would visit your hospital? Why not BE the palliative fairy? Dazzle the world with your own palliative sparkle shirt!