Living Wills and other decisions to be found.
I have entered this before. Deserves repeating so it is not lost in the hundreds of things found here. Take care to take the time as we do not know what we will need down the road to asure our quality of life and the ethical humane treatment when we are at the end of our time here on Earth. Thank you for taking good care of yourselves and your loved ones.
Go to Suddenly Senior's site and put in the search for living wills to find what is there. And of course there is the lighter side and many other resources to their site. LI.
Frank includes story of a perspective about Terri to find Living Will information.
LIVING WILL FORMS AND REGISTRATION
Everyone should have a living will to make certain your wishes are fulfilled when you're incapacitated. This form, while compiled especially for Florida citizens, will at least make clear your wishes in other states. Very important!
Documents, which vary by state, also can be obtained online and from various organizations:
...and if my attending or treating physician and another consulting physician have determined that there is no reasonable medical probability of my recovery from such condition, I direct that life-prolonging procedures be withheld or withdrawn when the application of such procedures would serve only to prolong artificially the process of dying, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care or
to alleviate pain.
There was one that also had a comment of if food or liquids were to be withheld, but I would not want to go, as to me that is torture and that is what was done to Terri, which lasted far longer than expected.
Partnership for Caring provides specific advance directive forms for each state at.
Aging With Dignity offers details about getting its "Five Wishes" document ($5 for one, less for multiple copies) toll-free at (888) 594-7437 or on the Web at . The document, which is valid in 35 states, including Florida, is easier for most people to understand than the state documents. It is more personal, offering in layman's terms the opportunity, to specify how comfortable you want to be, how you define life support, even how you want to be treated: Would you like visitors from church? Music in the room? Your bedside surrounded by pictures?
New in 2007:
The Five Wishes document helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your wishes with your family and physician.
Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:
- Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them.
- The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
- How comfortable you want to be.
- How you want people to treat you.
- What you want your loved ones to know.
To ensure that medical care providers anywhere can gain access to the document, Health Directives (or (866) 633-9474) of Washington Crossing, Pa., will scan it and give you several wallet-sized cards specifying how medical providers and loved ones can obtain your document from the Website. For an annual fee, mostly paid by hospitals that share in revenues, the company will make sure the living wills are kept up to date and signed each year. The older the document, the less likely it is to hold sway in a debate, says Health Directives founder Peter Heisen.
- The U.S. Living Will Registry offers a similar service. Both companies provide links to basic state forms and where to get information, but will accept and scan into their computer whatever documents are provided.
This is an excellent idea but it takes a health care provider to help you get it. As when we are stressed an paniced who remembers where things are kept? And with hurricanes we can loose all our papers if we are hit by one.
How It Works
- People register their advance directive and/or organ donor information by registering through a member Health Care Provider or Partner, some Providers and Partners provide the service free of charge to their patients, clients, employees and members. They complete a Registration Agreement that gives the Registry permission to send a copy of their document to any health care provider (hospitals, doctors, skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, home health agencies, providers of home health care, ambulatory surgery centers, and hospices). Once registered, you are registered for life. The Registry agrees not to release your information to any party other than health care providers, so your personal information is kept private and confidential, just like a medical record.
- The document is electronically stored in the Registry's computer along with the registrant's emergency contact information. More
What are the benefits to me?
Read Pharmacist Tom Braun's Latest: Terri and the Lack of US Leadership- Peace of mind, knowing that your choices are secure and will be available to your family and doctors even if you become ill away from home.
- The serenity of knowing that you will be able to "speak" to your family and doctors through your advance directive about your personal philosophy and help them make the decisions you want without feeling guilt or remorse.
- The security of confidential, 24-hour access to your choices by hospitals and health care providers across the country. More
With Thanks to Frank & Carolyn for all they do for us to have a good quality of life and joy in our worlds. LI
Labels: advocacy, education, living will, Suddenly Senior
posted by LadyIrene @ 5/25/2007 03:27:00 AM
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