MADISON, Wis. – In 2007, Eric Sarno, who was then 37, led an active life, participating in triathlons and marathons while raising his two young daughters. The last thing he expected was to suddenly end up at University Hospital.
A blood clot had formed in his brain that led to a brain hemorrhage, which is bleeding in the brain known as a hemorrhagic stroke. He would need five brain surgeries during an extended hospital stay.
“Overnight, I went from being very healthy to not knowing if I would survive,” said Sarno, who lives in Madison. “To make matters worse, my health care wishes were not very clear, and I had to make important life decisions when I was in the intensive care unit about to go have brain surgery.”
Thanks to the medical team, friends and family, Sarno was able to recover, but setting up power of attorney for health care under duress was very stressful for him.
“When you are healthy, the last thing you want to do is plan for a medical crisis, but my story shows the importance of planning,” he said. “You should have your wishes in writing before you need them.”
Today is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which was founded in 2008 to inspire, educate and empower the public and providers about the importance of advance care planning.
Advance care planning is the process of planning ahead for one’s own future health care decisions to let others know what types of medical care they want if an unexpected event like a car accident or sudden illness happens, and they are unable to speak for themselves, according to Parni Tolat, advance care planning program coordinator, UW Health.
UW Health offers free webinars that go over the steps necessary to complete a Wisconsin power of attorney for health care. These webinars are available to the public, regardless of where people get their care. Only about 50% of the approximate 60,000 primary care patients at UW Health who are 65 and older, have a power of attorney for health care on file, she said.
“Eric’s story is a perfect example of how life is unpredictable and planning ahead can alleviate stress for you and loved ones,” Tolat said.
Wisconsin, unlike some states, is not a “next of kin” or “family consent” state, which means that Wisconsin law does not allow next of kin to make decisions in certain situations. Illinois, on the other hand, is a next-of-kin state. Without a power of attorney for health care in Wisconsin, a person’s loved ones may need to seek legal guardianship through the court system which can be costly, stressful and time-consuming. So, completing a free power of attorney for health care, prior to a health crisis, can help to avoid that, she said.
Sarno is thankful to have a good outcome, and over the years he has worked with various support groups at University Hospital to share his story and get others to plan for the worst.
“You don’t know what the future will hold and making sure everyone is aligned with your wishes is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family,” he said. “I want others to learn from my experience.”
You can find more information on how to register for a free webinar or obtain free forms to complete a Wisconsin power of attorney for health care at uwhealth.org/acp.
