2015 Edition - The practical guide to Health Care Advance Directives

What you’ve heard is true. You need Health Care Advance Directives. Would you like to know why? In her award-winning 2006 book, "Last things first, just in case," attorney Jo Kline first addressed the approaching crisis surrounding aging and end-of-life care in America. The perfect storm she predicted is now peeking over America's horizon:
• America's dramatically aging population
• The dwindling financial and human resources available to address their needs
• Our pervasive lack of health literacy.

Considering, communicating and documenting your choice of a substitute decision maker and a process for shared decision making is a key element of achieving and practicing effective health literacy. Bringing together legal expertise, engaging stories and a plain-spoken narrative, Jo helps readers prepare to face the unique legal and medical challenges of death and dying in America. This user-friendly guide to Advance Care Planning and creating and sharing effective health care advance directives includes:
• The Four Simple Steps: Education, Delegation, Communication and Documentation.
• The importance of a health care proxy and how to choose the most qualified advocate.
• "Lightbulb moments!"—tips and shortcuts for effective advance health care planning.

The right time to make a plan for managing health care and end-of-life care is while you still can. The time is now.

The International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care: "This book is written for the lay person and is by far the best and clearest that I have seen. If someone, anywhere—not just the USA—wants a book to explain what Advance Directives are all about, why they need them, and how to (and how not to) go about doing it, then I would be happy to recommend this book." - Dr. Roger Woodruff, Lifetime Board Member of IAHPC