To insure that your wishes for care through the ending of life are known and honored, it is essential to have thoughtful conversations with family members, friends and health care providers who may assist you in case of life-threatening illness. This section of our website provides you with some good guides to help begin and complete such conversations. If you have questions or need further assistance with these matters, please feel free to seek our advice via email request.
Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Caring Connections Provides free resources, information and motivation for actively learning about end-of-life resources. Promotes awareness of and …
Caring Conversations was developed by the Center for Practical Bioethics as a consumer education initiative to help individuals and their families share meaningful conversation while making practical preparations for end-of-life decisions. It is designed to guide you, your family and friends through the process of advance care planning. Caring Conversations is endorsed by the National …
The Center for Practical Bioethics offers a variety of publications, video and audiotapes designed to enhance ethics education and promote discussion of ethics issues. Links are provided for free material and for items to purchase via their online store. Visit Center for Practical Bioethics Resource Links
Case studies provide a way for us to analyze and think-through difficult medical and moral situations. This Center for Practical Bioethics webpage links you to stories that will challenge you to think clearly as you consider options at the crossroads of decision. Visit Center for Practical Bioethics-Case Studies at the Crossroads of decision
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 »
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
CRITICAL Conditions (SM) is a program that can help you and your loved ones talk about your final health care decisions. Visit Critical Conditions
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 …