The
long-running and often vitriolic case of recently-deceased
brain damaged victim Terri Schiavo has spurred interest
in having a written testament of one’s final wishes,
often a taboo subject in families, especially among the
young.
Though
the terms vary from state to state, living wills or advance
directives are designed to describe the type of medical
care one requests if he/she is unable to speak for him/herself.
Now, because of the contentious events in Florida, information
on how to memorialize end-of-life care is available at
a mouse click, or as close as your telephone. Enter “living
will” or “advance directive”
into any Internet search engine, and you will find hundreds–if
not millions–of “hits” or Web sites detailing
such information. Some forms are free; others charge fees.
Some
online or store-bought forms can be completed without
an attorney’s assistance, but one should be consulted
if there are particular circumstances or issues. Also,
witnessing requirements vary among the states–whether
it be witnessed, notarized, or both. Experts say that
advance directives should be reviewed frequently because
priorities may change over time.
Following
are some resources for advanced medical planning:
AARP. Many
end-of-life and living will books, articles, and forms
are available at http://www.aarp.org/life/endoflife/Articles/item91342202.html.
Five
Wishes. Distributed by the nonprofit group
Aging With Dignity, the document costs $5 each and
can be ordered in bulk (25 copies or more are $1 each)
at www.agingwithdignity.org or
888-5-WISHES.
MyHealthDirective.com. Five
Wishes documents purchased through MyHealthDirective
(for $5 each) get a free year of secure online storage
and are accessible with a user name and password. The
cost after the first year is $2 annually. The site will
store and post other types of advance directives for
$2 per year.
National
Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. This
nonprofit group's Web site offers free state-specific
advance directives and also includes advice for communicating
your wishes to family and close friends. At www.nhpco.org (click
on "hospice and palliative care information")
or 800-658-8898.
American
Bar Association Consumer's Tool Kit for Health Care
Advance Planning. Helps with "discovering,
clarifying, and communicating what is important to
you in the face of serious illness," says the
Web site. Includes free worksheets, resources, and
suggestions, but does not create the directive for
you. At www.abanet.org/aging/toolkit.
ABA
Common Legal Myths About Advance Medical Directives. Written
by the group's Charles P. Sabatino, the list puts to
rest 10 myths about advance directives, such as "an
advance directive means don't treat" and "I
need a lawyer to do an advance directive." At www.abanet.org/aging/myths.html.
Mayo
Clinic's advance directive resource. This
article provides an in-depth description of advance
directives and how to create one. At www.mayoclinic.com (look
for link to advance medical directives or put that
term in the search engine).
State
Web sites can also provide links to advance
directive/living will sample documents.
