5 Wishes

By: Dr. Lynn Euzenas

Director of Spiritual Care & Bereavement Services

One of the most loving actions you can do is to have the conversation about your end of life wishes with your loved ones. As the current television commercial reminds us, "life can change in an instant", and when it does, if we are not prepared, life can become very difficult, even tragic. Without good end of life car planning you could find yourself unable to make your wishes known and have another make them for you. You could watch your elderly parents suddenly thrown into a medical crisis with no idea what to do when you are told they cannot return home. You could be caring for you husband or wife in a care facility and discover you do not have the funds to continue to pay for his or her care. These are life crises which are all too common, which could be lessened or prevented by simply having a conversation about planning.

The California Health Care Foundation reported in 2012 that 90% of people say having this conversation is important, but 27% have actually done so. 60% of people say that making sure that their family is not burdened by tough decisions is extremely important, but 56% have not communicated their end of life wishes. 80% of people say that if they were seriously ill they would want to discuss their wishes for treatment with their doctor, but only 7% have actually done so.

One of the ways Hospice of the Valleys provides loving care to you and yours is to help you initiate this conversation about end of life planning. We invite you to one of two short workshops on "The Five Wishes." "The Five Wishes" is a special program which will help you make your wishes known to your loved ones and physician. The simple document which functions as an advance directive will help you express "5 Wishes": 1) who you want to make medical care decisions for you if you cannot; 2) which kind of medical treatment you might or might not want; 3) to express how comfortable you would like to be; 4) to record how you would like to be treated by others; 5) and to write down those things you want your loved ones to know.

These brief workshops and "The Five Wishes" document are our gift to you, to help you begin these important conversations and decisions. We hope you can join us on either Thursday, March 8th, from 10-11:30 a. m., or Thursday April 26th, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Both workshops will be held at our offices at Hospice of the Valleys, 25240 Hancock Ave., Suite 120, Murrieta, CA 92562. These workshops are free and open to the public.

Hospice of the Valleys was honored to be nominated for and WIN the Charity award at the Stars of the Valley benefit hosted by non profit organization, Charity for Charity. This award recognized a local charity whose mission was to make a significant difference in the lives of others in our community.

Thank you Charity for Charity for allowing us to be part of this incredible evening, and for the opportunity to be in the company of several other compassionate and giving organizations.

Addicted to Love

Dr. Leslee B. Cochrane

Executive Medical Director

According to a recent article by Scott Edwards published by the Harvard Medical School in the Mahoney Neuroscience Newsletter there may be something to the 1986 top Billboard hit song "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer. In 2005 biological anthropologist Helen Fisher led a research team that analyzed the brain scans of 2,500 love-struck college students. When the test subjects viewed pictures of their sweethearts the researchers noticed a significant increase in activity within the pleasure center area of the brain known to release dopamine which is the same "feel-good" chemical released in people who are addicted to alcohol and cocaine.

Harvard Medical School associate professor Jacqueline Olds notes that the release of dopamine triggers a series of neuro-chemical reactions known as the "reward circuit." This circuit accounts for many of the emotions experiences during the infatuation and romantic phases of a relationship. When the reward circuit is activated, cortisol is released and creates a feeling of euphoria and also causes the depletion of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Decreased levels of serotonin are seen in the patients with obsessive compulsive disorder and may help to explain the seeming inability of infatuated couples to stop thinking about each other.

A very encouraging aspect of the article included findings from studies which demonstrated conclusively that it is possible to remain madly in love for decades. The studies showed similar brain scan patterns of dopamine activity between couples married over 20 years when compared against those in newly formed romantic relationships. It was also postulated that it is possible to rekindle loves flame by reconnecting with your spouse. Let me suggest that a lovely dinner and a box of chocolates might also be in order as well.

We are so very grateful to Above & Beyond Beauty for their ongoing support of Hospice of the Valleys! Not only do they sponsor and donate to our annual Wine & Chocolate fundraiser each year, but they put together a December fundraiser in their salon, donating a portion of their proceeds and allowing guests to directly donate all month as well. Their generosity resulted in raising $701.00 for Hospice of the Valleys!