Over the last few years, thousands of Illinois families faced the unbearable pain of losing loved ones unexpectedly. Sadly, many of those who passed did not have the opportunity to tell their families what kind of treatment and support they wanted until they were in the midst of a medical crisis or terminal diagnosis. It does not have to be this way.
I am appealing to you as both an advanced practice nurse in neurology and a long-distance caregiver for my aunt who lives with advanced Alzheimer’s dementia. She was a kind, fiercely independent, dignified, funny and stylish woman. Now, she no longer recognizes herself in the mirror and fights staff over washing her hair. Nothing about how she lived her life suggests to me that she would want to continue living in this manner.
