Living With Intention
A Family Health Decision Plan
Clarity Before a Crisis
Most families know they should have conversations about future healthcare wishes, but few actually do.
As parents age, health conditions change, or unexpected medical events occur, loved ones are often faced with difficult decisions without knowing what the person they care about truly wants. In those moments, uncertainty, stress, guilt, and family conflict can quickly arise.
Living With Intention was created to help families have these important conversations before a crisis occurs.
Through a structured and professionally facilitated process, we help individuals clearly express their healthcare wishes while providing family members the opportunity to better understand those preferences, ask questions, and prepare for future decision-making responsibilities.
The result is greater clarity, improved communication, and increased confidence that future healthcare decisions will reflect the individual's wishes rather than assumptions made during a stressful situation.
What is Included
Phase 1: Personal Health Decision Interview
The process begins with a private one-on-one consultation focused on understanding the participant's healthcare priorities, treatment preferences, quality-of-life considerations, and decision-making wishes.
Topics include:
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Current health and independence
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Healthcare goals and concerns
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Medical treatment preferences
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Hospitalization and emergency care
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Serious illness considerations
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Quality of life priorities
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Healthcare decision-making
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Family communication preferences
Following the interview, a concise Family Alignment Summary is prepared that captures the individual's key healthcare priorities and serves as the foundation for the family conversation.
Phase 2: Family Alignment Session
Family members are invited to participate in a guided discussion centered around the individual's expressed wishes.
This facilitated session provides an opportunity to:
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Clarify healthcare preferences
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Discuss questions and concerns
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Identify potential misunderstandings
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Explore family roles and responsibilities
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Improve communication and preparedness
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Address areas where future conflict may arise
The purpose of the session is not to persuade or negotiate the individual's wishes. Rather, it is to ensure that family members understand those wishes and feel better prepared to support them if difficult decisions become necessary.
Phase 3: Family Health Decision Plan
Following the sessions, participants receive a comprehensive written Family Health Decision Plan that summarizes key healthcare preferences, decision-making guidance, quality-of-life considerations, and important discussion points identified during the process.
Families also receive a concise Quick Reference Guide designed to be easily accessible during times of medical uncertainty.
Who Benefits
Aging parents and their adult children
Families navigating new diagnoses
Couples planning for the future
Those wishing to reduce future family conflict
Individuals with chronic health conditions
Those wishing their healthcare wishes are clearly understood
The Benefits
Families who complete the process often report:
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Greater peace of mind
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Improved family communication
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Reduced uncertainty about future decisions
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Increased confidence in healthcare planning
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Better understanding among family members
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Stronger alignment around the individual's wishes
A Gift to the People You Love
One of the greatest gifts we can offer our families is clarity.
When healthcare decisions become difficult, loved ones should not be forced to guess what we would want.
Living With Intention provides the opportunity to have those conversations now, while there is time to think carefully, communicate openly, and ensure that the people who care about us most understand what matters most to us.