*This article is by April Creed, Co-Founder of www.myexsitu.com and an experienced Clinician with a background of over 25 years as a Registered nurse and Aged Care Manager. More information about ExSitu can be found in our Good Grief! Business Directory.
For even the most organised of people, planning for the end of life can be a daunting task.
When you think about the phrase ‘advance care’, it’s meant to be your safety net if you lose the ability to communicate. Advance care documentation answers for you when you no longer can.
Death and what it means to have well-supported end-of-life looms large in our imagination. It tends to dwarf our waking thoughts once we begin pondering.
However, there is a limit to standard advance care documentation. Checkbox forms don’t allow you and your values to shine through. A standard run-through doesn’t always capture the values and ideals you hold dear.
The role of values in your advance care planning.
Values are those small, intricate details we hold onto throughout our lives. They are the quiet moments, too, that we don’t often share with other people.
It’s these values and ideals that make up the recipe for who you are: what we value in life, what we will stand up for, and what we will let go. These set the limits of who we are as people. Our values reflect what we will go into battle to protect.
The ExSitu cloud based platform can show others:
- Your thoughts on what you value more during particular situations
- Your beliefs in greater detail
- What your version of quality of life entails
- How you feel about medical intervention – and where the limits may be
- What your version of dignity looks like in a care environment
- The thoughts and words you may not say today but would want your loved ones to know tomorrow.
You can build a wholistic and robust values map that can stand in your stead. It’s your roadmap to advocacy and to capturing what makes you, you.
Reflect on scenarios and choices you may encounter.
We ask you to reflect on scenarios and choices you may encounter. We use these reflections to create a detailed map of your values and what you hold dear.
Using ExSitu, many members describe a sense of relief and comfort with talking about their wishes they didn’t think possible before.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks we know for families is gathering the courage to talk about death. You are likely keen to have your wishes respected and your ideas heard. You want peace of mind. The family may delay the conversations, not realising they are adding to your anxiety.
But having a positive and stress-free conversation can help everyone feel comfortable and organised.
ExSitu sits alongside your will, power of attorney and other decision-making documents. As a map of your values, it templates the risks you’re willing to accept, and what makes life worth living. It’s a time capsule of your heartfelt choices and desires. It defines the lines between autonomy and support, quality and quantity of life, and more.
To learn about the difference between the person with no capacity and the one who is vulnerable, go to our sponsored article: https://good-grief.com.au/sponsored-article-decision-making-is-a-human-right/
Here is a set of Good Grief! articles which April believes are helpful to this discussion.