Engage With Grace: Do You Have An End-Of-Life Care Plan?
Matthew Holt and Paul Levy have encouraged medical bloggers to join together around a common goal for Thanksgiving: to talk to our loved ones about end-of-life preferences. Now I know this may seem a bit morbid at first blush – but it is really important that each of us create a living will and durable power of attorney document. There’s no better time to discuss this than a holiday where we all get together with our families to enjoy one anothers’ company and our gratitude for what we have.
I used the Suze Orman site templates to create mine (I received a free CD Rom). It was really easy to do. Living Wills provide guidelines about your wishes for care in the event that you are unable to express your opinions. The Durable Power of Attorney document makes it clear whom you’d like to “call the shots” on your care if you’re unable to do so for yourself.
If you haven’t done so already, why not consider the following three steps over Thanksgiving?
1. Discuss the “Engage with Grace” slide with your loved ones.
2. Fill out living will and power of attorney documents at Suze’s site (or find another site online that has a good template that you can use to express your wishes).
3. Get those documents affirmed by a notary public and send a copy to your doctor to add them to your medical record.
Every person at every age needs to have an end-of-life care plan. Why not join with thousands of blog readers in settling this matter for yourself and your loved ones this Thanksgiving?
This is good. Unfortunately I’m one of those people deluded into thinking I’m going to live forever.
Many thanks, Val.
I literally just read about this earlier this morning from another blog.
Great idea and info for one and all.
I made this a family priority just recently.
I did this last April when I was going in for surgery. Great idea.
On a related note, discussing assisted living preferences with loved ones is a good idea, too. Anyone with a progressive or chronic illness has to think about these things.
S.