Finishing Well
Issues for the patient and family to discuss about the last part of life
- With whom do you want to discuss End-of-Life issues?
Have you selected them as your Medical Power Of Attorney (MPOA)?
- Do you prefer to live longer even if it requires being put on machines
and undergoing some suffering or to live a shorter time to avoid suffering
and being put on machines?
- Where do you prefer to die? Home or hospital? Who would you like to be
with you?
- Would you want to be sedated if necessary to control your pain?
- Have you filled out and signed your advance directives such as a living
will, Medical Power Of Attorney (MPOA), Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), & Physicians
Order for Scope of Treatment (POST) form?
- Do you want to be an organ donor?
Have you contacted the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) ?
- Do you have a will to manage your assets?
- Have you left an inventory including the location of your bank, brokerage
and other financial accounts, stock and bond holdings not in brokerage accounts,
real estate and business records and documents, medical and other insurance
policies, pension plans and other legal documents?
- Have you left the names, addresses and telephone numbers of your attorney,
accountant, family members/significant other, friends and business associates
who should be notified of your death or may have information that will be
helpful in dealing with estate affairs?
- Is the necessary documentation in order concerning your preferences for
funeral/memorial services, burial or cremation instructions, and decisions
about organ, tissue, or body donation? Have you told your family what you
want?
- Do you want to complete a written, video, or audio tape message to your
family/significant other, business associates and friends?