It can be overwhelming to be asked to make healthcare decisions for someone who is dying and is no longer able to make his or her own decisions. It is even more difficult if you do not have written or verbal guidance. How do you decide what type of care is right for someone? Even when you have written documents, some decisions still might not be clear since the documents may not address every situation you could face.
Dr. Rajindar Singh, Secretary of the International Fellowship of Rotarians Doctors (IFRD), read an article titled, “Doctors Die Differently,” and was intrigued by it. During the RI Convention in Lisbon, PT, Rotarian Rajindar introduced the topic of main conversation by stating that doctors died more peacefully with less care and less technology. Much better than he had experienced in his own community and family. The conversation turned to the tragic stories of end of life misery from relatives and fellow Rotarians. It seemed to the Fellowship members that the causes of the problem were centered on communication issues and lack of skills to help.
During the RI Convention in Seoul, KR, the IFRD members met at the National Korean Medical School’s Section of Palliative Care. End of life misery was the topic. Around the table, the members again discussed the times that they had dealt with painful and poor-quality end of life care. They spoke about how badly equipped and helpless each had felt to change the course of the terrible suffering experienced. At the RI Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, US, the Fellowship directed John Dugaw, ReCSWUSA member, to develop a Fellowship program that could be presented to Rotary Clubs. Pat Green, a ReCSWUSA and IFRD member, has adapted the A Good Cause for Good Care! program to present to us. The core of this program is the Five Wishes living will.