Keywords
Advance Care Planning, Advance Directive, Young adults
Disciplines
Nursing | Nursing Administration
Mentor
Dr. Susan Harrington
Abstract
According to the CDC, 40.6% of young adult deaths occur from unintentional injuries, which is the leading cause of death for this age group (Heron, 2019). When accidents occur, they sometimes result in a loss of the ability to make medical decisions, and young adults most likely have never had the opportunity state their wishes regarding their medical care. This is why advance care planning is important, because it allows the opportunity to express those desires before it is too late. Many people often confuse advance care planning as a process that is only needed for the elderly and those who are critically ill, however as the statistic above shows that is not the case. Discussions often do not occur with young adults regarding advance care plans. Instead, health care professionals and researchers focus on providing information on advance care planning to older adults and patients who are critically ill. The purpose of this project is to examine the history behind why advance directives are important, understand how they are obtained in Michigan, and look at the reasons why young adults should obtain them. The project included conducting a literature review of articles and studies in preparation for writing a research paper. The paper focuses on the history and process of advance care planning, different perspectives on the process, and how to educate young adults on advance care planning.
ScholarWorks Citation
Songer, Emily K., "Advance Care Planning Barriers for Young Adults" (2020). Honors Projects. 804.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/804
