Advance Directives: Assisting Patients With End-of-Life Decisions Advance Directives: Making Informed End-of-Life Decisions

Abstract

"Talking with patients about the dying process and the use of life-sustaining technology can be emotionally challenging for all concerned. Helping patients to participate in planning for future health care crises, including end-of-life care, can also be professionally rewarding. Although physicians remain ultmately responsible, nurses, social workers, administrators, and other health care professionals should be prepared to relay much of the preliminary necessary information regarding life support and other end-of-life treatment alternatives, In particular, health care professionals should be able to knowledgeably inform patients and their loved ones regarding their rights and responsibilities in formulating advance directives (living wills and durable powers of attorney for health care). This resource guide provides comprehensive information relative to the formulation of advance directives." (Description from the introduction to the Resource Guide.) This education kit includes a video for healthcare professionals about advance directives (39 minutes); a video for patients about advance directives (17 minutes); a resource guide discussing the goals of health care, ethical principles of advance directives, the law and advance directives, barriers to the use of advance directives, resources for education, decision making, cultural sensitivity, and sample forms, including the values history form, values questionnaire, a sample living will, and a sample health care surrogate designation form. In addition, a set of photographs are included to illustrate a variety of medical interventions that might be used at the end-of-life.