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My wife went to her first dr visit since turning 40 and they brought up having a mammogram and end-of-life care. I thought it was kind of odd, but giving her health issues...maybe.
Has anyone else had this brought up after turning 40?
Maybe they were asking about a living will/health care surrogate notice/durable power of attorney etc.? I get asked about advance directives every time I go to the doctor, it seems.
Maybe they were asking about a living will/health care surrogate notice/durable power of attorney etc.? I get asked about advance directives every time I go to the doctor, it seems.
This. Every time I go in for lab work or see my PCP these days they ask me about one. It certainly is in the "end of life" wheelhouse and important to have OP.
Last edited by Parnassia; 11-07-2023 at 03:52 PM..
Yes, docs/clinics often ask for them, at least in my experience. You shouldn’t read anything into such a request. It is not necessarily a synonym of “omigod, I’m at death’s door.”
Myself, I just think of it as good medical practice, like asking you when your last tetanus shot was. It’s just something that’s good to know for anyone treating you for anything.
Keep in mind that if you do have an Advanced Directive on file, you can always amend it if you wish.
Maybe they were asking about a living will/health care surrogate notice/durable power of attorney etc.? I get asked about advance directives every time I go to the doctor, it seems.
Exactly. It covers how you want things handled if you're incapacitated, like in a car accident at age 43.
If you have any preferences, make them known, or you may wind up a vegetable on life support for years.
They last forever, or until you make a new one. I did mine in 2006, and have it on file with at least a dozen doctors offices and hospitals in four states.
i work in healthcare. there are certain items that are asked to everyone of a certain demographic as a way of disseminating information which healthcare systems feel is helpful for patient education, and for preventive care. examples where i work for instance include asking on an annual basis about things like depression, suicidal ideation, will, guns in the home, that sort of thing.
when i was going through an illness a few years ago (around age 60) i asked my doctor for a POLST form to sign and HE was the one who got upset. which i thought was strange. it made him uncomfortable. however I'd rather be prepared. especially since i work in healthcare and know the things i want in place for my own peace of mind. (POLST is the pink form you stick on your refrigerator that complements an Advanced Directive.)
i would see it as not personally directed at her or her condition, more like something they routinely do.
and if you have a POLST or advanced directive, make a whole bunch of copies, and give them to people you know and trust, and make sure they are in your medical chart for every doctor you see, and also (this is important) if you are able to, keep one with you if you are taken by ambulance, or if you are hospitalized, and LITERALLY tape it to the head of your hospital bed, and the foot of your hospital bed. Otherwise medical providers may not know about. and it is more likely to be followed, particularly in an emergency.
They were asking about living will etc. My practice asked me every time I go for my yearly checkup. If you don’t have a living will, you should get one. They aren’t just for old people. Accidents happen; people get sick etc. I want to make sure my wishes are carried out and I don’t put any burdens on my family to have to make decisions for me. I want to make those decisions now. So I have a living will.
I get asked at every appointment if I want help with my Advanced Directive. I'm not sure if that's the same thing you're referring to or not.
I think it's a good idea, regardless of age, though. My husband recently passed away from brain cancer and he did not have an Advanced Directive filled out. Thankfully, he and I were able to discuss some things prior to his passing, but I was left on my own to decide a number of things and it's a responsibility I would have rather not had. Without things written in black and white, you're always going to be left second-guessing your decisions. It's quite difficult, even if you think you know what your partner would want.
The whole experience has made me decide to put effort into completing my own living will and Advanced Directive so no one has to make the hard decisions based on what they think I want.
Find another doctor and complain to whoever is responsible for regulating that one. Discussing end of life options has nothing to do w/ a routine mammogram visit, and its totally inappropriate.
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