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Sure End-of-Life Wishes Are Known |
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Submitted by Nora
Schumacher, RN
Adapted from a Nursing Spectrum article, 10-22-07 |
If you are feeling guilty
about not having an advance directive, many others do not either.
An advance directive is the legal document that names a healthcare agent
to make decisions when you can’t and outlines your wishes for
end-of-life care.
Thinking about death—especially your own, is not easy. But not thinking
about it can make things much harder for you and your loved ones when
the time comes.
With the myriad forms available on the Internet, you can put your mind
at ease. The following websites can help guide you through the process
of creating an advance directive.
Caring Conversations
www.practicalbioethics.org.
Use the workbook on this site to start conversations with loved ones
about end-of-life care, with questions such as, “What are your fears
about the end of life? And “If you could plan it today…
Five Wishes
www.agingwithdignity.org
Having trouble translating the legalese of your state’s advance
directive form? This plain-language version breaks it down to five
wishes. The form costs $5, but you need to make sure it is considered a
legal document in your state. (Five Wishes meets legal requirements in
40 states.)
Consumer Toolkit
www.abanet.org/aging/toolkit
Which do you fear most near the end of life? (A) Being in pain. (B).
Losing the ability to think. (C) Being a financial burden on loved ones.
Take the Proxy Quiz for Family & Physician on the American Bar
Association’s Commission on Law and Aging website. The Consumer’s Tool
Kit for Health Care Advance Planning also offers tips on how to select a
proxy and what to do after signing your advance directive.
US Living Will Registry
www.uslivingwillregistry.com
Once you have filled out an advance directive, make sure you put it
somewhere safe. For a one-time $125 fee, the Living Will Registry will
electronically store your advance directive, organ donor form and
emergency contact information and provide the information to health care
professionals who request it. (The site also lists health care providers
who will store the documents free of charge for their patients.)
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