Plan your medical decisions and care preferences
A program to help you make medical decisions for yourself and others.
![[Icon]_[Decision_Maker]3](https://www.thymecare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BIcon%5D_%5BDecision_Maker%5D3.png?width=125&height=117&name=%5BIcon%5D_%5BDecision_Maker%5D3.png "[Icon]_[Decision_Maker]3")
Step 1: Choose a medical decision maker
Choose someone you trust to help make decisions for you in case you become too sick to make your own decisions.
A good decision maker will:
- ask doctors questions
- respect your wishes
If there is no one to choose right now, do steps 2, 4, and 5.
How to say it:
"If I get sick in the future and cannot make my own decisions, would you work with my doctors and help make medical decisions for me?”
“I do not want to make my own medical decisions. Would you talk to the doctors and help make medical decisions for me now and in the future?”
![[Icon]_[What_Matters]](https://www.thymecare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BIcon%5D_%5BWhat_Matters%5D.png?width=125&height=117&name=%5BIcon%5D_%5BWhat_Matters%5D.png "[Icon]_[What_Matters]")
Step 2: Decide what matters most in life.
This can help you decide on medical care that is right for you.
Five questions can help you decide what matters for your medical care:
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What is most important in life? Friends? Family? Religion?
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What experiences have you had with serious illness or death?
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What brings you quality of life? (Quality of life is different for each person.)
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If you were very sick, what would be most important to you:
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to live as long as possible
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to try treatments for a period of time
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to focus on comfort even if life is shorter
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Have you changed your mind over time?
![[Icon]_[Choose_Flexibility]](https://www.thymecare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BIcon%5D_%5BChoose_Flexibility%5D.png?width=125&height=117&name=%5BIcon%5D_%5BChoose_Flexibility%5D.png "[Icon]_[Choose_Flexibility]")
Step 3: Choose flexibility for your decision maker.
Flexibility allows your decision maker to change your prior decisions if doctors think something else is better at that time.
How to say it:
Total flexibility:
“I trust you to work with my doctors. It is OK if you have to change my prior decisions if something is better for me at that time.”
Some flexibility:
“It is OK if you have to change my prior decisions. But there are some decisions that I never want you to change. These decisions are…”
No flexibility:
“Follow my wishes exactly, no matter what.”
![[Icon]_[Your_Wishes]](https://www.thymecare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BIcon%5D_%5BYour_Wishes%5D.png?width=125&height=117&name=%5BIcon%5D_%5BYour_Wishes%5D.png "[Icon]_[Your_Wishes]")
Step 4: Tell others about your medical wishes.
This will help you get the medical care you want.
How to say it:
To your decision maker and medical team:
“This is what is most important in my life and for my medical care…”
To family and friends:
“I chose this person to be my decision maker and I want to give them (TOTAL, SOME, or NO) flexibility to make decisions for me.”
Encourage completion of advance directive forms with medical teams.
![[Icon]_[Ask_Questions]](https://www.thymecare.com/hs-fs/hubfs/%5BIcon%5D_%5BAsk_Questions%5D.png?width=125&height=117&name=%5BIcon%5D_%5BAsk_Questions%5D.png "[Icon]_[Ask_Questions]")
Step 5: Ask the medical care team questions.
Tips:
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write down questions ahead of time
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bring someone with you
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speak up at the start of the visit
Ask about:
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benefits – good things that could happen
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risks – bad things that could happen
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options – different kinds of treatment
How to say it:
“What will my life be like after the treatment? Will it help my quality of life?”
“What I’m hearing you say is… Is this right?”
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Ready to take the next step?
Thyme Care is here to support you.
You can talk to your Care Team Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 8 PM ET. Clinical support is available 24/7. Whether you have questions about your care, forms, or anything else, we’re here to help
Call or text:
201-526-8484
Call toll-free:
833-849-6300
