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Oles lead local event for National Healthcare Decisions Day

By Kari VanDerVeen
April 16, 2008

St. Olaf College alumni and instructors led local efforts to highlight the importance of putting your healthcare wishes into writing as part of National Healthcare Decisions Day April 16.

A panel discussion at the Northfield Library Wednesday featured: Mary Carlsen '79, professor of social work at St. Olaf; Mary Carlson '81, a geriatric nurse practitioner with Allina Clinic; Susan Lohmann '80, director of social services at Northfield Hospital; Katherine Helgen '00, a physician at the Family Health Medical Clinic of Northfield; Joan Kark '60, a retiree who has written and would like to update her advance healthcare directive; John Ophaug, a local attorney who is also an economics instructor at St. Olaf; and Pastor Diane Goulson with the Northfield Retirement Community.

Following the discussion, panelists stayed in the library for several hours to take questions and offer expertise on writing an advance healthcare directive. The local event was one of more than 350 events that took place nationwide as part of the first National Healthcare Decisions Day. The goal of the day is to encourage patients to express their wishes regarding healthcare through conversations and the completion of advance directives.

"Our goal is to increase the number of people who pay attention to this issue," Carlsen says.

A healthcare directive is a document that states your healthcare preferences and instructions in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself. It can include as few or as many instructions as you wish.

Lohmann gave a presentation outlining what needs to be included in the document -- your name and signature, for example -- and some of the commonly included instructions, such as the use of pain control, ventilators and respirators, nutrition support, CPR, dialysis and medications. A variety of forms are also available online to help guide individuals in putting together an advance healthcare directive.

Healthcare planning involves learning, thinking, talking and putting your wishes into writing, Lohmann says. Talking about your wishes is the most important part of this process, she noted.

Kark expressed her concerns and questions as someone who has written and would like to write another health-care directive. She also noted that putting your thoughts on paper prompts you to reflect on what you value most. "It gives us the opportunity to talk about our past life, our creed, our values," Kark says. "There are all kinds of pieces with this, and it does involve our hearts and souls."

Helgen says putting one of these documents together is a way to prepare for "what you don't expect." Physicians often have to act quickly, so she recommends that in addition to putting your healthcare wishes into writing, you also talk to your doctor about them.

Carlsen says she's hoping to turn this year's activities into an annual event. The number of Oles who led this year's event was a reflection of the fact that each individual she asked to participate eagerly agreed to do so.

"We're all in the community, and we all care about end-of-life care," Carlsen says. "We also care about serving our community right where we are. It continues our mission of service in the community."

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.