054 – How to Make Difficult Decisions Easier:<br> Using Goals of Care & Weighing Benefits vs Burdens

In This Episode:

Dr. K discusses a reader’s dilemma concerning his resistant 96-year-old father, and explains how using two foundational concepts — goals of care, and weighing benefits versus burdens — can help families work through difficult decisions. (See here for the posted question and her written answer.) She covers:

• How to think about whether an older relative may have lost decision-making capacity
• The three key goals of medical care: helping people live longer, feel better, and function better
• Why thinking through goals of care is foundational in geriatrics
• Three common non-medical goals for older adults: autonomy, safety, and privacy
• What to do when goals come into conflict
• How to use a “benefits versus burdens” framework to think through dilemmas and difficult decisions
• How the reader with the resistant 96-year-old father might think through his options
• 4 suggestions to keep in mind when discussing difficult topics with an older relative

Related episodes: 

• 028 – When Older Parents Resist Help: 4 Tips for Better Talks
• 038 – FAQs On “Incompetence” & Losing Decision Capacity

Related Resources:

• How to Plan for Decline in Alzheimer’s Dementia: A 5-Step Approach to Navigating Difficult Decisions & Crises with Less Stress
• Quick Start Guide to Checking Older Adults for Health & Safety Problems
• Incompetence & Losing Capacity: Answers to 7 FAQs
• 10 Things to Know About HIPAA & Access to a Relative’s Health Information
• 4 Things to Do When Your Parents Are Resisting Help
• AgingCare.com Online Caregiver Forum