Community Connections

Navigating the End with Ian Graham

An introduction to advanced care planning, end-of-life decisions, and communicating your wishes.

Roughly 30% of Americans die in hospitals, where they are often unable to make their own medical decisions. Yet two-thirds of adults in the United States have no living will or healthcare power of attorney, which places family members in the distressing situation of having to make end-of-life decisions for their loved one without guidance.

This presentation on advanced care planning begins with explaining the pattern of illness over the lifespan, while also introducing advanced care planning documentation such as a living will, durable power of attorney, and the Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (IPOST). The second half of the presentation details the challenges and realities of intensive medical therapy and concludes with advice on speaking to your primary care provider and family regarding advanced care planning.

Ian Graham is a candidate for the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Clarke University. A Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Ian has served as a bedside nurse since 2019 and will transition to advanced practice nursing in 2027.

Community Connections events are funded by the Friends of the Bettendorf Public Library.

If you are a person with a disability who requires special assistance, please call 563-344-4175 in advance.

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