Siouxland Magazine - Volume 2 Issue 2

Siouxland Magazine | Converse / 19
Questioning Your End of Life Care – When, How and Why
By Adam Cory
There comes a time in everyone’s life when
difficult decisions need to be made. Life comes
at us fast, and quite often these decisions need to be
made very quickly. What if I told you some of life’s most
difficult decisions can be made well in advance of a crisis
situation? Would you take the time to address these
decisions, or wait until they were staring you in the face?
One of the most difficult questions to address is - what
type of care do I want at the end of my life? Unfortunately,
some are faced with this question earlier and more
abruptly than others. Dying or planning for your death
are rarely comfortable subjects to discuss with your
loved ones. However, planning for the care you desire
when time is short is not only critical, but it can prevent
an incredible burden from falling upon your spouse or
children.
As a topic that is not often discussed, it may be surprising
how many important decisions need to be made at the
end of life. How much treatment do you want at the
end of your life? In a crisis situation, do you want life
support measures administered on you such as CPR, a
feeding tube and breathing machines? Who will make
my healthcare decisions for me if I am no longer able to?
These are only a few examples of why planning for your
end of life care is so important.
Once you have considered a few of these questions,
imagine your loved ones having to make these decisions
for you. Not only are they emotional with the change
in your health, but now the remainder of your life is
essentially in their hands. If they have no idea what your
wishes are, how will they ever feel comfortable knowing
they made the right decision? One of your greatest gifts
to your loved ones at the end of your life may be to relieve
the burden of making these decisions for you.
At Hospice of Siouxland, we are experts in end of life
care and services. We started serving the Siouxland
community in 1981 and have continued to pursue our
mission of providing high quality, compassionate care
at the end of life ever since. We see this problem all
too often in our line of work. A family member falls ill, is
diagnosed with a life limiting disease and their time is
limited. They have never discussed their wishes with their
family and suddenly these life-altering decisions fall into
their hands. You can help prevent this by planning your
end of life care.
If you are having a difficult time knowing what to plan or
how to do it, Hospice of Siouxland is here to help you.
We provide education, free of charge, to the community
regarding end of life wishes. We can meet with you
individually, with your family or in a larger group setting.
Whatever atmosphere proves most comfortable for you
to be able to digest these decisions will work for us.
If you are interested in learning more about end of life
planning, please call Hospice of Siouxland at 712-233-
4144 and ask for Adam Cory.
Adam Cory serves as the Marketing and Fund Development
Manager at Hospice of Siouxland. He is a graduate of Sioux
City West High School and the University of Northern Iowa.
Adam lives in Dakota Dunes, SD, with his wife Kelsey and
their daughter Kinley.