Topic Resources

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

Patient and Family Resources

Aging in the Know: Your Gateway to Health and Aging Resources on the Web. Created by the American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/

Aging with Dignity. Five wishes advance directive. Legally accepted in 31 states and growing, this advance directive combines features of a health Care Proxy and Living Will. It also lets family and physician know the comfort measures a person wants (i.e., pain and symptom relief); how the person wants to be treated (e.g., have someone hold their hand; read to them); what they want their loved ones to know (about forgiving and forgiveness; about fear and peacefulness). The document is distributed by many houses of worship, healthcare and legal professionals, social service agencies, employers.

American Association for Retired People. AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly.  This website has a range of documents that would be helpful for the patient, family and health care provider. Topics include: differentiating between a living will and medical or health care power of attorney; how to get conversation going in talking about care at the end of life.

American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging. Consumer's tool kit for health care advance planning. The Tool Kit focuses on and clarifies issues regarding health care agent or proxy selection, "after death decisions" that have to be considered before death; a guide for health care agents; etc. The 10 tools are PDF files.

Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Health Sciences Ethics Program, University of New Mexico. (June 1998). Values history form packet. Can assist the patient/client/consumer identify and talk about what is important to him/her with regard to goals for the future; sources of pleasure and meaning; the role of family and friends; the value and importance of being independent; spiritual beliefs; relationships with the health professions; thoughts about illness, dying and death; finances; funeral plans.

Last Acts

Fact Sheets:

  • (2001). Thinking Ahead: Advance planning foe end-of-life care
  • (2001). Decision making isn't just a family matter: Legal issues in end-of-life care
  • (2001). When patients cannot eat or drink: Artificial Nutrition and Hydration
  • (2001). Care beyond Cure: Palliative care and Hospice.
  • This website also describes State Initiatives on End of Life Care-Focus: Pain management.

Merck Institute on Aging and Health. Nurses Notes. Healthcare Decision-Making: Being Proactive is Best

National Institutes of Health: Health Information

Nusbaum, N. J., & Goldstein, M. K. (Updated Jan 31, 2001). Advance directives. The American Geriatrics Society, Patient Education Forum. From a patients perspective, questions and answers about creating an advance directive, why it is important and useful to have one. Language is jargon-free; answers are concise and to the point.

Partnership for Caring. (2001).

The Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. (2003). Advance psychiatric directives. Less common than HCP and LW, this type of advance directive is suggested for those who are concerned about involuntary psychiatric commitment or treatment at some future time. The official name of such a document is "advance directive for mental health decision making." The document includes aspect of proxy decision making and instructions with regard to desired or not wanted treatments.

U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health: Medline Plus

Links to multiple governmental, private, and professional web sites:

Prentiss Care Networks Project (Care Networks for Formal and Informal Caregivers of Older Adults) http://caregiving.case.edu

Last updated - November 2005