The purpose of advance care planning is to establish goals for medical treatment and supportive care when facing serious illness or decline. Best outcomes are achieved when personal values and medical realities help inform and guide the process. The completion of advance directives – coupled with meaningful conversations with family members, health care providers and spiritual advisors – are essential for success. Helpful tools and resources follow.
The Coda Alliance is a collaborative in Silicon Valley that share the goal to implement social change in end-of-life care. Their mission is to provide practical skills and tools to plan and receive care wanted at the end of life. They publish the “Go Wish” cards in English and Spanish for assisting with advance care […]
A gressroots project to improve end of life care, this film sheds light on the 21st century American struggle with communication and preparation at the end-of-life. Throughout the film, there are intimate accounts of the emotional, spiritual, physical and social burdens associated with the historical shift that has occurred with dying. Forty years ago, most
Consider the Conversation: A Documentary on a Taboo Subject Read More »
In thousands of ways, social workers help people help themselves. People of every age. From every background. In every corner of the country – wherever we’re needed – starting here and now. Welcome to your source for professional advice, inspiring stories – even a social worker directory. Social workers. Help starts here. This website is
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There are a number of helpful guides for entering into the conversation about serious illness and end of life issues. The following were created by the Community Network to assist those working with people with mental health challenges and include: Some Ice Breakers: Having Difficult Conversations Advance Care Planning Cue Card … Read More
Conversation Guides: Approaching the subject, language to consider Read More »
CRITICAL Conditions (SM) is a program that can help you and your loved ones talk about your final health care decisions. Visit Critical Conditions
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English The End of Life Values-Choices Checklist is a form that lets you think about end of life choices and values, and commit them to writing. If you prefer, you can download the End of Life Values-Choices Checklist in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. Spanish The End of Life Values-Choices Checklist is a form that lets
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The Nature of Life includes the Eventual Miracle of Death, a rite of passage that deserves dignity and loving care. Imagine. . . creating your own home or family-run funeral. Final Passages is dedicated to a compassionate and dignified alternative to current funeral practices. Visit Final Passages
The Finding Our Way: Living With Dying in America national newspaper series appeared in more than 160 newspapers, reaching millions of Americans (www.findingourway.net). That series consisted of 15 articles created by a distinguished group of authors and editors, and was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels, and Charitable Leadership
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Finding Your Way encourages early family discussions and helps patients and their loved one consider difficult decisions about medical treatment near the end of life. This booklet, published since 1998 by Sacramento Healthcare Decisions, is an excellent guide to help prompt thoughtful discussion and consideration. Stories are included to help guide the way. The booklet
Go Wish cards order information, Frequently Asked Questions and examples of clinical uses of these Values Sorting Cards helpful when considering end of life choices are provided at this site. The Go Wish cards were created by Elizabeth Menkin, MD and the CODA Alliance to simplify advance care planning choices and assist with setting goals
Go Wish Cards, Elizabeth S. Menkin, MD Read More »