When Families Don’t Hear the Truth: Why We Ignore Poor Prognoses

Optimistic bias by a family member charged with healthcare decisions can be a barrier for your wishes to be carried out. Learn how to avoid it in your advance care planning: https://bit.ly/499XQqa

When Families Don’t Hear the Truth: Why We Ignore Poor Prognoses  

When someone we love is critically ill, we hang on every word from the medical team. But research shows something surprising and unsettling: when the prognosis is poor, many families simply don’t hear it. Not because they aren’t listening, and not because doctors aren’t communicating clearly, but because human psychology steps in to protect us from unbearable news. 

Learn Important Facts to Guide You in Your Advance Care Planning 

Listen to learn more about this phenomenon and important considerations when you chose your healthcare decisionmaker. We also rebroadcast the S4E52 episode about preparing your paperwork for decisionmakers to speak for you when you are unable to.

#DeathEducation #SpeakForYourself #YourWishesMatter #AdvanceCarePlanning #EndofLife #ICU #HealthcareProxy #DurablePowerofAttorney #HealthcareDecisions #EveryoneDiesthePodcast #EveryDayisaGift #LivingWill #AdvanceDirective 

In this Episode:

• 00:20 - How Appointed Decision Makers Interpret Information About Prognosis
• 01:51 - Why Do Some Family Members Push for Every Possible Treatment When Further Interventions are Futile?
• 03:35 - How Unrealistic Optimism Affects Decisions in the ICU
• 07:36 - Intro - S4E52 - Durable Power of Attorney
• 12:40 - Overlooked No More: Cordell Jackson
• 20:36 - Are You Prepared to Die?  Get Ideas for Your Advance Care Planning 
• 22:54 - The Importance of an Advance Directive
• 39:47 - Advance Care Planning Example - How to Be Thorough and Precise 
• 50:44 - Outro

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