Advance Directives – CCH Pastoral Care Committee Session

By on October 6, 2020 in General

On Sept. 9th, I attended a meeting led by the Chester County Hospital (CCH) Pastoral Care Committee for faith-based community leaders. Since Covid related restrictions went into place, the committee has held such meetings every other month to provide awareness of covid-related pastoral care work at CCH and how the hospital and community leaders can support each other in their pastoral work. The topic on the 9thwas advanced directives. While the documents shared are in keeping with Pennsylvania state law, the issues raised occur everywhere. 

         After a review of Chester County covid case and covid hospitalization numbers, Andy Gordon, Director of Business Development and Strategy for CCH who chairs the meetings, introduced John Ehman, Director of Pastoral Care at Penn Presbyterian. 

         John’s points:

  • Advance directives apply whenever an individual cannot speak for the self to make medical decisions. 
  • Advance directives are not the same as living wills or power of attorney relationships, even if there is a health care power of attorney. 
  • Most important part of health care directive is the designation of an health care agent, individual knows the values you want used to base medical decisions upon. 
  • If no one is designated, PA state law does establish process for medical decisions to be made
  • The health care designee should be someone who can speak well with medical stall and loved ones, and not feel traumatized or burdened by the role. The best person may not be an immediate family member. 
  • Does need to be witnessed but does not need to be notarized.
  • Conversations about medical decisions should include not just current medical procedures, but ones that may arise in the future

         Conversation tips – think about undue suffering, not just types of treatment; also what assumptions do you each hold about medical decision making and treatment options

I have electronic copies of the following documents:

  • Understanding Advance Directives for Health Care in PA (includes information on living wills and power of attorney)
  • Health Care Representative Worksheet for Patients, developed by Penn Medicine
  • PA Advance Directives 12 Practical Facts not Commonly Known

The following may also be of interest:

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