By Rich Larson
Northfield residents will have an opportunity this Thursday evening to confront a topic many avoid but all will face: how to ensure their medical wishes are honored at the end of life. A community forum on advance care planning will take place from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at the Weitz Center for Creativity, bringing together health professionals and local volunteers to guide conversations about advance care directives.
Mary Carlsen, a retired St. Olaf College professor and former medical social worker, said the goal is simple: normalize planning for the inevitable. “We prepare for births all the time,” Carlsen said in a recent KYMN radio interview. “Why don’t we prepare for something that will affect every one of us? We all will die.”
Advance care planning allows individuals 18 and older to formally document two key decisions: who should make medical choices on their behalf if they cannot, and what kind of care they wish to receive. These directives can range from preferences about life-sustaining treatment to comfort measures and personal values.
For Brian Edwards, head of Northfield Emergency Medical Services, those documents can be critical in high-pressure situations. Without them, first responders are legally required to attempt resuscitation in most life-threatening cases. “It’s legally, morally, and ethically the right thing to do,” Edwards said. “But if that’s not what someone wants, having that document in hand allows us to honor their wishes and spare families additional trauma.”
Edwards described the reality of emergency response as chaotic and distressing, particularly in cardiac arrest cases involving multiple responders and intensive interventions. “It’s visually overwhelming,” he said. “If we have clear direction from a patient, we can shift focus to supporting their loved ones.”
Carlsen emphasized that advance care directives are often misunderstood as simple “do or don’t” orders. In reality, they are nuanced and can be updated as circumstances change. She also stressed the importance of sharing documents with family members and designated decision-makers.
Thursday’s event, organized by the End of Life Choices Collective in partnership with Northfield Hospital and EMS, will include presentations, practical guidance and time for questions.
Organizers say anyone age 18 and older should attend. Or as Edwards put it in a direct manner: “If you’re going to die at some point, then yes—this is for you.”
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net.
