End of life wishes are a concern for every family. In some families it is a taboo subject to talk about. Often, the family is left in crisis mode to make decisions for a critically ill loved one. For this discussion, review any version of an Advance Directive. Complete (or update if you already have) your own Advance Directives. Then, assist someone else (friend, family member, neighbor, etc) to complete his/her Advance Directives. Once you have done both of these, write a short reflection to share with your peers including:
1. Describe your experience completing or reviewing your own advance directive.
2. Describe what it was like to assist someone else filling out or reviewing their advance directive.
3. Explain some of the issues or concerns the person you talked to had in relation to the developmental stages (e.g. worries about children or elderly parents).
4. What was the most interesting aspect of the assignment. Be specific and give details about the experience (not details about the advance directive choices).
5. What do you think is the biggest barrier to getting people to complete an advance directive?
6. Did you gain any insight to the process that will change how you approach patients to discuss advance directives in the future?
