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One unarguably universal truth is that we will all face death – both for ourselves and our loved ones. And when we do, it stands to reason that most of us would prefer to have as much say as possible over the quality of our final months, weeks and days, including where we die.
But too often, the U.S. healthcare system results in a cascade of hospitalizations and unintentional decisions that prevent people from being able to live out their wishes, explain medical sociologist Karen Lutfey Spencer and Jane Callahan, an end-of-life doula who is studying mental health counseling.
Spencer and Callahan describe specific ways that patients and their loved ones can gain more control over their plans at earlier stages during illness and end of life, and ways that the healthcare system can help support them.
“When caregivers and patients feel empowered in the choices they make toward the end of life, the dying process can happen with fewer shocks and emergencies – and more intention, care and dignity,” they write.
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