Living wills. Advance directives. Powers of attorney for healthcare. Making your wishes known.
Many older adults have never gotten around to addressing these issues, and of those who have, many are overdue for a review.
After all, this is not something where you should “set-it-and-forget-it.” Especially not if you completed the paperwork with a lawyer years ago, and have experienced changes in your health since then.
But if you wanted to get started addressing this, you may have run into a few common hitches. The forms are often in legalese and hard to understand. And people often are sure just how to go about “making their wishes known.”
Fortunately, geriatrician Rebecca Sudore, MD, noticed this problem early in her career, and decided to do something about it.
Over the past 15 years, she developed and tested California’s first easy-to-read advance directive, then designed PREPARE, an easy online video program created to help older adults address advance care planning.
In a recent podcast episode, she and Dr. Kernisan discussed PREPARE, advance care planning, and how to make it easier for older adults to address what matters most to them when it comes to end-of-life planning.
This article will share some highlights and key points from their conversation, including:
- The easy-to-read advance directives (and where you can get one)
- Why advance care planning needs to include more than completing forms
- How the PREPARE program helps older adults talk about what matters most
- How to use PREPARE resources to help yourself or your loved ones talk about what matters and complete your planning
