Transcription:
Wills and Advanced Directives: Do It for Your Loved Ones

Denise Schnabel: Hi, everyone. Welcome to Outer Bank's Health, the official podcast series of the Outer Bank's Hospital and Medical Group. Each month, we will be featuring guests who will discuss not only health related topics, but community topics as well. We are your host, Denise Schnabel.

Wendy Kelly: And I'm Wendy Kelly. We're changing it up a bit today, Denise, we don't have one, but two guests.

Denise Schnabel: Ooh, we're getting fancy.

Wendy Kelly: The first is a local icon who serves as the medical director of our Center for Healthy Living here in Nags Head as well as the chief wellbeing officer at ECU Health. She holds board certifications in family medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine. And she is passionate about the importance of making good choices, while at the same time, allowing yourself grace. She is Dr. Christina Bowen and at the other end of our tiny podcast studio is a long time Outer Banks's resident who served as the nursing director of dare county's health and hospice division. And is now the ECU health community health outreach program coordinator. She is registered nurse Ellie Ward. Hi.

Denise Schnabel: Hi ladies. Welcome. Welcome to our studio.

Dr Christina Bowen: Good to be here. Thanks for having me.

Wendy Kelly: We're glad you're here because today's topic might be a bit uncomfortable and we can't think of two people who can help everybody through this. It's about end of life planning.

Ellie Ward: Yeah. And it can be a little uncomfortable. And the last I checked, none of us gets out of this alive. And it's a means for people to take control. So we love that.

Denise Schnabel: Very good, good points. So Ellie, August is by the time this podcast gets publish, it'll be September, but August is Make a Will month. In addition to a will. It is important to have a healthcare power of attorney and living. Will, can you tell us what those are and explain the differences between them?

Ellie Ward: Oh, sure. Thanks for the opportunity. Sure. So a healthcare power of attorney is a legal document recognized here in North Carolina and other states as well, that allows people to designate an agent, also known as a proxy, who would step in and make healthcare decisions for them if they were ever in a situation where they couldn't make them for themselves. It's important to note that as long as somebody can make those decisions for themselves, they get to. A living will, conversely is another legal document.

Also recognized here in North Carolina that allows somebody who has a serious illness with a very limited life expectancy, to be able to designate the kind of care they would want or not want if they were at the end of life. And again, couldn't speak for themselves.

Wendy Kelly: So that's a lot. Do you think it's, possible that a lot of folks are confused about the differences between the three of those things? And maybe it's a reason why they Don't do it or come and, even approach trying to do them?

Ellie Ward: I think that's a great point. And yes, I think, the, limited clarification between those and I think for a lot of people, this idea of your last will and Testament, or your durable financial power of attorney is really confusing. Like what is the difference between a durable, financial power of attorney and a healthcare power of attorney? And so, a fair amount of just information is so helpful to people as they face these decisions and trying to figure out their path forward. I think another thing that is, often a barrier is just this idea that, we're human and We all are going to face mortality. and that just is a hard truth. And, some people are more accepting of that reality than others and, we just wanna make it possible for people as they feel moved and want the information to be able to get it.

Denise Schnabel: And you were telling us a great point before about the COVID and how changed people's mindsets to this particular topic.

Ellie Ward: Yeah. Denise you're right. So again, I think, in the work that I haven't been doing there at ECU Health now for the last seven years, what I often see is that people tend to think this sort of. Planning personal planning is only relevant, sort of as they are aging and getting into an aged population. And I would say, really it's relevant for anybody at any age. We encourage people even starting at the age of 18 to start thinking about this and talking about this and preparing the people in their life for what they want.

And part of that isn't to be morbid, right? It's to allow people again, this chance to be able to have things go the way that they want. And so COVID, I think has really, taught us that over and over and over again that, even the young can be effective in life spins on a dime, things can happen at any moment.

Wendy Kelly: Dr. Bowen, from your perspective as a physician, why is it important that patients have these documents prepared?

Dr Christina Bowen: Well, just like you all have been discussing. I think it's so important as you were saying, Ellie, it's very empowering and it gives patients comfort to know that these documents have been prepared and they've been able to share these decisions with their loved ones, so that you're given a good example of COVID We do have to face our own mortality. And we don't know when that day will come. And so what I've heard from my patients is when they have these documents prepared, they feel a sense of peace, knowing that not only are their decisions gonna be honored, but that they're taking those decisions off of their loved ones.

So some of the difficult decisions that they don't want to have their loved ones needing to make at the end of their life, they feel they've prepared them. And they've had some, what are kind of tough conversations, but really necessary conversations. So it's a very empowering act for our patients to have these filled out.

Ellie Ward: Yeah, I agree.

Wendy Kelly: Do you think people really understand how not having these items can effect them and their family during these times of crisis?

Dr Christina Bowen: I think that's a great question. And I think going back to the whole mortality thing, it's not something that we like to dwell on, right. Our mortality, but I can tell you that it's something that we need to continue to have conversations about. And I'm so grateful for Ellie's position with ECU Health and the work that they're doing to help our communities understand just how empowering it is to have these documents filled out and why it's necessary. So we don't have to have that chaotic end of life.

We feel like our patient's decisions are being made and that loved ones are not being faced with difficult decisions. And because they haven't had those tough conversations, they've, had those tough conversations and they know those documents are already filled out. And so I don't think people entirely understand if they're not in the medical profession, but I think that Ellie and the team at ECU Health are doing a really great job of helping our communities understand the importance of having those filled out.

Probably as a hospice and palliative medicine physician, Perhaps it, interfered with that end of life experience, not only for the patient, but also for the family. And it's so hard to have to say goodbye. And so I just feel like there's an opportunity to really make that a beautiful experience for the patient and the family.

And something that's not sad, but is a little bit funny is the fact that my husband reminds me that we have these documents filled out every time we fly, but that actually gives him a lot of peace. And that's what, but we've decided we can stop talking about that now after about a fourth, airplane flight.

Denise Schnabel: But it's good because you were saying he mentions that your family has copies. Our family has copies. Everybody that needs copies.

Dr Christina Bowen: I think that's just really important because you want people to know.

Wendy Kelly: So just communicating.

Ellie Ward: Absolutely. And also this idea that, when it goes well, as Dr. Bowen just described, no one ever wants to lose somebody that they love. That's never gonna be an easy journey, but it can be a wonderful journey in terms of just the peace of mind and the comfort and knowing that you're honoring the person that you're representing. So, yeah. With their wishes, right? Yeah. You got it.

Wendy Kelly: So Ellie, you have given the community of the outer banks, the opportunity to start and complete these documents that we're talking about. Can you tell us more about that?

Ellie Ward: Sure. So on a monthly basis, they're at the bomb center. I host an hour long free event. I'm also an notary here in North Carolina. And so, I offer notary support as well. And then the staff there at the bomb center, very, very graciously offer their support in providing witness support. So, because those events are free and they're open to the community, anyone can come to them. And in fact, I often have married couples or partners, or even multiple family members that come to these events.

Maybe the first time they come, they're just looking for information. and then typically they'll go back and have conversations with their family and loved ones. And then they'll return to another event with their documents ready. And at that time I can support them with the notary support and we get the witnesses there and we get their documents done.

And then if they want us to, we can scan them into the electronic health record, right. And make it a part of their permanent record, so that every provider, every person. comes in contact with their medical information, has access to that in a crisis.

Denise Schnabel: And if they aren't able to make your plan sessions, are there other ways that can they do 'em in the Center for Healty Living. Can they do htem at the hospital?

Ellie Ward: So I make myself available to people in the community and I occasionally will get phone calls from folks that have an unusual question or a, maybe a not so run of the mill situation. And so I encourage people to call me with those kinds of things. And, if it turns out that they can't make it to a scheduled event, you know, there's other ways of, addressing that need. So I would encourage people to call me. And that number is 252-475-0905.

Denise Schnabel: Very nice.

Wendy Kelly: So with these events that you have, it's just, even, if you have no idea, you know you want to start this process, but you've done nothing still come to it because you'll learn. Ellie you can, direct folks in the next steps, right?

Ellie Ward: Absolutely. So again, you know, another barrier that people often, think is true is that you have to have an attorney in order to complete your healthcare power attorney and living well. And that is not. the case. there are some really excellent attorneys in our community and I certainly, you know, people have a relationship. They're great. But don't let that be a barrier. And, I prefer when these, presentations are more of a discussion than a presentation because, I'm really there to serve people and to be able to give the information that they need to be able to make a good, informed decision. So happy to help.

Wendy Kelly: Very nice. And give us that number one more time.

Ellie Ward: It's 252-475-0905.

Denise Schnabel: Thank you. All right, lady. Anything else that we haven't Broached?

Dr Christina Bowen: I was just gonna say to add on to that. Ellie, I love what you said about having a discussion and I think it's important when you think about these discussions to talk to your doctors, talk to your primary care doctors. We are there. We want to have these conversations. we're ready to answer questions that you might have and perhaps talk about situations where we've seen that it's been truly beneficial for patients to have these documents filled out. So we are your partner in your healthcare journey and your end of life journey. So please, open up this dialogue with your primary care physicians.

Ellie Ward: Absolutely.

Denise Schnabel: And hopefully now it's less uncomfortable. So if you've enjoyed this podcast share it on your social channels. To hear more Outer Banks' Health, check out the library at theobh.com/podcast. This is your host, Denise Schnabel. Stay safe.