Planning

Living Old is one hour Frontline program filmed November 21, 2006 presenting a powerful and intimate journey into the uncharted territory of Americans living longer than ever — and what it means for them, their loved ones and our society. On this site you can view the whole program or individual chapters including:
The Stories-Living lives that neither the elderly nor their families ever prepared for.
Interviews-Doctors, one family’s story, and a conversation with a remarkable 94 year-old.
The Big Issues-What Needs to Change; Nursing Homes; Parents and Children; When Enough is Enough.

[Values Checklist — English and Spanish]

“Opciones para el Final de la Vida: Lista y Guía de Valores”- Community Network, Susan Keller

“End of Life Choices: A Values Checklist and Guide” - Community Network, Susan Keller

Excellent book for family conversations about values and quality of life. Available in Spanish and English

Obtain from: A Better Way Coalition (Idaho Residents and Programs) abetterway@cableone.net.

Free Outside of Idaho from Susan Keller, Community Network.

Promises to Keep: Changing the Way We Provide Care at the End of Life published by the National Coalition on Health Care and The Institute for Healthcare Improvement. in October, 2000. This report presents the stories of institutions and organizations that made a commitment to change and innovation to improve care at the end of life. The profiles presented in this report reflect some of the most promising pioneering efforts underway in the field of palliative care. RAND’s Center to Improve Care of the Dying (CICD) staff worked closely with the National Advisory Panel of Americans for Better Care of the Dying to develop selection criteria for groups profiled.

Reluctant Realism
by Margaret R. McLean and Margaret A. Graham published in Issues in Ethics, Winter, 2003 Volume 14, Number 1, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University pp. 7-9.

To assist in the goal of improving the Latino health care experience in the San Jose community, 66 adults agreed to participate in a series of three focus group sessions that explored their attitudes and concerns regarding end-of-life care. This article presents their views of death and dying, their interactions with the health care system, and their concerns about discussing these issues with their families.

TAKING CARE: ETHICAL CAREGIVINGIn OUR AGING SOCIETY published by The President’s Council on Bioethics
Washington, D.C., September 2005
Preface
The President’s Council on Bioethics was created by President George W. Bush on November 28, 2001 to advise the President on bioethical issues related to advances in biomedical science and technology. Taking Care addresses the ethical challenges of caregiving in our rapidly aging society, with special attention to the care of people with dementia. The report purpose is to provide a humanly rich account of the caregiving dilemmas social, familial, and personal, and to offer some important ethical guidelines for the care of persons who can no longer care for themselves.

This advance care planning workbook was designed by and for people with developmental disabilities to enable them to do their own advance care planning. A DVD video is also available and may be previewed online. This project was created by the California Coalition for Compassionate Care, the Board Resource Center and Mark Starford who has extensive experience and expertise in adapting complex information for persons with developmental disabilities. This is also a great resource to use when working with the frail elderly, people with low reading comprehension or anytime simplification of complex advance health care planning issues would be helpful. It is also available in Spanish and Chinese.