The Caregiver's Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices for Those Who Can't

by Viki Kind

Overview

This award-winning book guides families and professionals who are making decisions for those with varying degrees of mental capacity. (New 2nd edition includes 40 bonus pages from The Caregiver's Path Workbook.) Viki adaptable system for making choices comes as much from her heart as from her extensive experience as a bioethicist. KindEthics.com

About the book:

You know how difficult--even heartbreaking--it can be to make decisions for someone with dementia, stroke, Parkinson's, developmental disability, mental illness, or other brain injury. Feeling confident that you've made the right decision would be a welcome relief from the worry and guilt you may be feeling.

The Caregiver's Path is an invaluable resource for caregivers struggling to make the right decisions, whether it's taking away the car keys, moving to a long-term care facility or making the difficult medical and end-of-life choices.

Readers will learn the framework and tools to create a good, ethical decision. These tools will help give voice to those who can't speak for themselves. The book provides specific strategies and questions to use along the decision making pathway. Respect and compassion are the core values of this decision making process.

This is not a one-size-fits-all solution but can be adapted depending on the individual's level of incapacity and the situation. Throughout the book are personal and real-life stories to help illustrate these tools. At the end of the book, Viki gives expanded end-of-life guidance for making the most difficult decisions.

Recommended by:

Booklist

Journal of Hospital Librarianship.

Journal of Gerontological Social Work

Alzheimer's Association

NAMI Advocate - National Alliance on Mental Illness

Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Paralysis Resource Center

Muscular Dystrophy Association

McKnight's Long Term Care News

Dementia Australia

Well Spouse Association

Pain Management Nursing Journal

Journal of the Catholic Health Association of the United States

Employee Assistance Report

Southern California Physician Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999754009
Publisher:	Education and Mediation, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Edition description:	2nd Pages of Bonus Material Included from the Caregiver's Path Workbook ed.
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

Viki Kind is a clinical bioethicist, professional speaker and hospice volunteer. Her award winning book, The Caregiver's Path to Compassionate Decision Making: Making Choices For Those Who Can't, guides families, guardians and other professionals through the difficult process of making decisions for those who have lost capacity. (2nd edition of her book just released.) She also has a workbook available at KindEthics.com. The Caregiver's Path: Resource Workbook, Conversation Guide and Visual Toolkit, provides uniquely designed communication tools for managing challenging conversations such as evaluating danger and risk, managing guilt and denial, end-of-life decisions, and helping the family know when it is time to create a new care plan. Viki is known as The People's Bioethicist, because she is a rare individual who bridges two worlds, that of the health care professional and of the family struggling to make the right decision. Viki spends much of her time speaking at conferences out in the community teaching patients and family caregivers how to make better decisions regarding their health, life and end-of-life. She also lectures across the United States teaching professionals to have integrity, compassion and to improve care through better communication and ethical frameworks. Patients, families and professionals love Viki's practical approach to dealing with ethically challenging dilemmas. Her recent experience as an expert witness for a court case where an advance healthcare directive failed has inspired her to create a set of tools to increase advance directive success by making them personalized and meaningful instead of generic. Viki provides bioethics consultation and support for many hospitals in the Los Angeles area. She also provides private consultations for individuals who are struggling to make difficult decisions. She holds a master's degree in bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin and a bachelor's degree in speech communication from California State University at Northridge. She has specialized training in mediation and cultural negotiation from Pepperdine University and UCLA. Viki is an honorary board member of the Well Spouse Association. She has also been a caregiver for many years for six members of her family.

Table of Contents

Abridged list of sections to fit this format:

Chapter 1: Starting Down the Decision Making Path

The Day My Dad Was Shot in the Dementia Unit

What Should You Do First?

Getting Your Loved One Professionally Evaluated Determining Capacity

Core Question #1: Does the individual have the ability to make his or her own decisions?

How Long Will This Inability to Think and Communicate Last?

Core Question #2: If the person is not able to speak for him- or herself, how long will it last?

Fluctuating Capacity

Chapter 2: The Decision Making Framework

Using the Right Framework to Build a Good Decision

Decision Making Framework Core Question #3: Was the individual able to speak for him- or herself in the past?

Autonomy Substituted Judgment

Using the Platinum Rule

Questions to Use with Substituted Judgment Making the Decision

Who Should Make the Decisions?

Core Question #4: Who should make the decisions when this person can’t?

When the Person Making the Decisions Is Getting It Wrong

Chapter 3: The Best Interest Standard

Who Will Decide?

How to Use the Best Interest Standard

Which Patients Will Need the Best Interest Standard?

Who Is the Unbefriended or Unrepresented Patient?

Chapter 4: The Shared Decision Making Model

How Old Is Your Loved One Mentally?

Core Question #5: About how old is the person developmentally? What is his or her mental age?

The Shared Decision Making Model

Chapter 5: The Sliding Scale for Decision Making

The Sliding Scale for Decision Making

The Danger of Using This Tool Incorrectly

Chapter 6: The Assent Tool

How the Assent Tool Works

Should Your Loved One Participate in the Decision Making Process, and If So, How Much?

Obtaining the Person’s Assent or Dissent

Does No Mean No?

Chapter 7: How These Tools Work Together

5 Core Questions Flowchart

Using the Tools in Real Life

Chapter 8: Applying Your New Skills to Real-Life Decisions

Chapter 9: When Our Hearts Get in the Way

Choosing the Least Worst Option

The Promises We Can’t Keep

Caregiver Burnout—Getting the Support You Need

Seeing It from Your Loved One’s Perspective

Chapter 10: Making the Medical Decisions

Balancing the Benefits and the Risks

Asking Good Medical Questions

When the Plan Doesn’t Work or Can’t Work

Chapter 11: Other Questions to Consider When Making Medical Decisions

Financial, Religious or Spiritual, and Cultural Questions

Chapter 12: Quality of Life and Personal Values

Chapter 13: Making the Most Difficult Decisions at the End of Life

Making Decisions about CPR and DNR

When Your Loved One Gets CPR Against Her Will

When Your Loved One Said to Do Everything, but Everything Isn’t Possible

What Is the Difference Between Palliative Care, Comfort Care and Hospice Care?

How Do I Get My Loved One on Hospice?

Communicating with the Dying

Chapter 14: The Big Picture

Appendix 1: Toolkit for Documenting Your End-Of-Life Wishes

Appendix 2: Evaluating Capacity, Danger and Risk

Appendix 3: The Ladder Diagram—When to Make A New Plan

Appendix 4: Action Questions

Appendix 5: 10 Quick Tips for Crisis Decision Making

Appendix 6: “Kindness Reminders”

Appendix 7: Table of Contents from The Caregiver’s Path Resource Workbook

Glossary

Index

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

"The Caregiver's Path is a book that speaks to the head and to the heart. It will give readers the tools they need to give the care we all want and deserve. Highly recommended." Harry R. Moody, Ph.D., Director of Academic Affairs, AARP

"It is a valuable resource that covers information needed to make all levels of decisions. I have never found this information discussed in such a clear, compassionate manner. GET THE BOOK." Carol E. Pollard, RN, LMT

"Viki Kind has created an excellent guide for families who are often left struggling and feeling overwhelmed when making decisions for loved ones who are incapacitated and unable to decide for themselves. This comprehensive guide covers every conceivable scenario families face in making decisions for persons dependent upon them. The tone is conversational, examples familiar, and explanations simple and clear without being condescending. Every caregiver, family and professional, should read this guide, preferably before there is a crisis." Edna Ballard, MSW, ACSW, Clinical Associate in Social Work, Duke Family Support Program, Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Senior Fellow - Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Education Core Faculty

Viki's book for me was a page-turner! ... It has changed my law practice because it has changed how I see the world of making health care (and even financial) decisions for a loved one no longer capable of doing so. The decision tree in the book is priceless. One gem that adds to the value is Viki's tips on when (and how) to engage the hospital ethics committee. Doug Germann, Elder Law Attorney

I finished your book up a few days after I received it and am remiss in getting back to you. You have managed to take complex issues and lay them out in a readable and effective format. I found your book fantastic. As a nationally certified guardian, I have to make decisions frequently and was glad to have your perspectives expand my standard 3 level thought process (substituted, best interest etc.) This whole area is so under-discussed and so extremely important. Thank you for sharing this work with me. Gary A. Powell, Nationally Certified Guardian

This is a well-written book, full of practical advice about making difficult life and death decisions. The author has been there as a caregiver and understands well the dilemmas that often need to be faced at times of crisis. Well worth reading cover to cover, and/or using it for reference. Moira Fordyce MD, MB ChB, FRCPE, AGSF, Geriatrician - Adjunct Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine Chair, Executive Committee, California Coalition for Caregivers

As a financial planner, clients also look to me as a trusted advisor in areas outside the financial setting. So when I discovered Viki Kind and her expertise, it was wonderful. In her lectures, and book, she not only integrates the financial ramifications of end of life, quality of life, caregiving and lost mental capacity, she promotes a person-centered approach that also integrates honoring values, family, community, and personal legacy. Ultimately, she shares knowledge and gives advice only a clinical bioethicist can give. Michael Palumbos, ChFC - Family Wealth Advisor

As the caregiver of an ill husband with very minimal mental capacity, I found The Caregiver's Path to be an invaluable tool to hang on my caregiver's tool belt - and a tool that is presented with such love, understanding and KINDness that it is not the burden I would have expected such a book to be. Very readable!" Terri Corcoran - Well Spouse Association

From the Publisher