From the late 1950’s until 2009, the great voice of Casey Kasem was heard over the airwaves, announcing America’s Top 40 tunes. That voice has been stilled, but not before a family-destroying battle waged over terminating the artificial nutrition and hydration that was sustaining him. He suffered from end-stage dementia. He had issued an advance directive some years earlier, which read: ‘If the extension of my life would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning, then I do not desire any form of life-sustaining procedures.’ He had appointed his daughter, by a previous marriage, to be his decision-maker. His wife objected to the daughter’s plans to honor her father’s wishes. There were many family dynamics at play in this situation but, perhaps, had he gathered his children and his wife together and discussed his wishes, it might have been easier for all concerned to have honored them. It took a visit to court before he was allowed to die as he had requested.
The Conversation Project in Boulder County, modeled after the national initiative founded by Boston Globe columnist and author Ellen Goodman, aims to “foster meaningful and effective conversations about end-of-life care”. She and her staff developed a Starter Kit which guides thinking and discussion of values related to care at this tender time of life. Completion of the Starter Kit and a family discussion will help you identify your decision-maker and to articulate your wishes and preferences to your family. Don’t put this off.
Visit http://theconversationprojectinboulder.org/starter-kit/ to download a Starter Kit.