advertisement

Monday, November 23, 2009

3/26/05
Living wills
By Josh Fischman

Several groups have legal forms, pamphlets and workbooks on writing a living will, selecting a health care agent, and starting conversations with your family and doctors about your wishes should you become incapacitated.

advertisement

Web Extras

Ethics: End-of-life decisions

Preparation: Living wills are in demand

Resources: The American Hospital Association's online kit

Caring Conversations is a workbook published by the Center for Practical Bioethics. It includes a guide to difficult conversations with family about end-of-life issues, as well as advance directive documents and forms for designating someone as your healthcare agent.

Consumer's Toolkit for Healthcare Advance Planning from the American Bar Association is a highly detailed workbook that helps you identify a good healthcare agent, check that they understand your values, and specify some of the medical conditions and treatments that most worry you.

Making Health Care Decision for Others from Montefiore Medical Center offers valuable advice to healthcare agents or surrogates, helping them understand what it means to make decisions for others in dire situations.

Five Wishes from Aging with Dignity combines an easy-to-understand living will form with a form for designating a healthcare agent.

Growth House is a comprehensive web site that offers reliable information on just about any issue related to end-of-life care. The "Handbook for Mortals" and "Death with Dignity" sections contain details about dealing with pain, use of feeding tubes, and various kinds of advanced directives.

Article Tools
E-mail article to a friendGo to top of the pageRespond to this articleFree Email newslettersGet 4 free trial issues of the magazine

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement




Cover Image Subscribe to U.S. News Today!
First Name Last Name
Address City
State Zip Email


Copyright © 2007 U.S.News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved.
Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.

Subscribe | Text Index | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact U.S. News | Advertise | Browser Specifications