An advance directive is a legally binding document regulated by state laws. Advance directives are subject to The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA), 1990, a federal law that encourages individuals ...

Completing an advance directive form is a great way to write down health care wishes before a medical crisis occurs. These legal documents help loved ones and doctors know what medical treatments a ...

Although the CMS reimburses clinicians for advance care planning during Medicare patients' yearly wellness visits, the agency has yet to encourage patients to set up these plans. It shows: Two-thirds ...

States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

November is national caregiver month and hopefully many of the local caregivers attended Friday’s annual Caregiver Conference hosted by Maui County Office on Aging. If not, put it on your calendar for ...

More clinicians now use Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms to record care wishes for nursing facility residents, but whether the resulting conversations lead to high-quality care ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a significant loss of life, often far sooner than individuals and families expected for their loved ones. This past year has raised conversations on health ...

One of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that people may be faced with a serious illness or a medical emergency that required vital decisions about their medical care, and sometimes ...

Are you interested in having one on file? The best time to prepare your Advanced Medical Directive (pdf) is before a circumstance arises where one may be needed. An Advance Health Care Directive (or ...

In my family, we hate to talk about dying and death. Bring up the topic of how you might want things handled in case of a serious accident or illness, and a hush descends. “Let’s not talk about that ...

A serious cycling accident on Gibraltar Road, a freeway collision, a stroke — any of these could take away your ability to communicate, and they can happen at any age. The Advance Care Directive is a ...

No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios, particularly when it comes to their future health problems, and what could happen in the event they are unable to make their own health care decisions ...