Beacon Health | Focus On You | Spring 2021

797 Wilson St. Brewer, ME 04412-1000 Contact Customer Service at 855-429-1023 . Or visit us online at employeehealthplan .northernlighthealth.org . In this issue Discover the value of virtual care Try these convenient ways to stay current with your health checkups. See page 2. Burned out on diabetes care? Here’s a tool to make it easier. See page 3. We’re available Beacon Health Standard U.S. Postage PAID Northern Light Beacon Health Stay in charge of your healthcare By Robin Hirsh-Wright There are two simple ways to keep control of your healthcare: 1 Complete an advance directive. It conveys your wishes for the type of care you want if you become too ill to participate in decision-making, and it allows you to designate a healthcare agent. 2 Have a conversation about your wishes with those you love. Why today is a good day to start the process The development of advance directives came about from unfortunate things that happened to young people. All of us from age 18 forward should, at a minimum, assign a healthcare agent, Maine’s legal term for healthcare power of attorney. Completing an advance directive and discussing your wishes with your healthcare agent keeps you in control if you become too ill to participate in decision-making. When you’re talking about your wishes, you’re really talking about what makes life worth living. It’s about each person deciding what constitutes a reasonable quality of life. Completing an advance directive and talking about your wishes with those you love creates an “insurance policy.” Most of the time, these documents never come into play, but if they are needed, they are vital. When a plan is made, care is more likely to be tailored to your values and goals. In fact, these discussions prove to be most meaningful in helping the people who love you navigate the turbulent waters of serious illness and end-of-life concerns. Advance care planning results in less crisis-driven end-of-life care, better management of symptoms, and a significantly increased likelihood that you will be in the setting of your choice at the end of your life. It also helps in the grieving process for those who remain, as they will know they were able to follow your wishes. How to start the conversation Your primary care provider has advance directive forms available. You can also download a form from the Maine Health Care Association. The Institute for HealthCare Improvement has great pointers for finding a way to talk with those you love about what matters most. As they say on their website, “The place for this to begin is at the kitchen table— not the intensive care unit—with the people who matter most to us.” Robin Hirsh-Wright, LCSW, Palliative Care Educator, Northern Light Homecare and Hospice. A fearless patient advocate with 28 years of healthcare experience, she’s witnessed firsthand the importance of advance care directives for families carrying forth the wishes of those they love.