The ICU care team is there for you and your family to help you understand the treatments and procedures that may be used to help your loved one. They will make sure you are informed about the details of the injury or illness, any interventions they intend to use, and changes in your family member’s health status.
However, medical information is not the only guidance available to help you with decisions you may be asked to make about your loved one’s care. Social Work is a good resource to help clarify your choices and decision making process. Our Clinical Nurse Specialist and the bedside nurse can discuss your immediate decisions with you as well as their long term implications. We encourage you to contact your clergy or Spiritual Care to discuss the spiritual or religious implications of care decisions as well.
If there is disagreement between your loved one’s goals and those of the health care team, the ethicist can be contacted. The Consent and Capacity Board can be a resource to substitute decision makers as well, especially if your family member’s wishes are unclear or open to interpretation.
