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, LCSW, RN, is the Coordinator for the Brevard County, Florida Coalition For Advanced Illness Care. He has seven years of hospice social work. In addition, he is a trainer of nurses in the art of caring for people at the end-of-life.
LINKS
American Psycological Association - End-of-Life Issues and Care
National Hospice
Last Acts
Caregiving Market Place
Music and Grief
Community Caregiving
Grief Recovery
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A Continuing Series... Introduction |
Isn’t It Time We Talk About It?
by
Charles Antoni, LCSW, RN
Many men are headed toward a time in life were chronic illness begins to show itself, untoward disease makes an unwelcome visit, and the wear and tear of living life begins to take its toll.
In some cases these issues will come to consciousness through the experience we may have with another. A parent, sibling, co-worker or friend. They are diagnosed with an advanced illness and we are thrown into conversations about who will care for them and where will they be cared for.
Is it better to have chemotherapy or radiation or let nature take its course?
How will all this be paid for, Medicare, savings, private insurance or funds thought to be designated for that trip to Europe or a retirement cabin in the Carolina’s.
What is informed consent and how will it effect our decisions about the treatments we will undergo or forego.
Isn’t it time we talk about these things before we are in a crisis? Before we find ourselves in the grip of blinding emotions clueless about what we or our loved one’s might want.
This series of articles will be an attempt to raise the issues, identify some of the pot holes and dangers; and give enlightened direction. But most of all they will be designed to stimulate the thinking and dialogue necessary to prepare ourselves, families and communities far the inevitable as large numbers go from caregiver to care receivers in the not so distant future.
Copyright 2003 Charles Antoni, all rights reserved
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