Making Your Wishes Known

If you lose the ability to make decisions, someone will have to make decisions for you. The person you choose to make those decisions for you is known as a surrogate.  Your surrogate—or proxy—should try to honor any wishes you expressed while you were still capable of making decisions. Your expressed wishes are legally and ethically more important than what others want for you, even if they feel that they are acting in your best interests.

 

In order to help a surrogate carry out your wishes, there are legal documents that allow you to spell out your healthcare decisions ahead of time.  These documents are called advance directives or advance care plans. The following resources will help you get started:

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• PREPARE for Your Care:  PREPARE is a step-by-step program with video stories to help you have a voice in your medical care, talk with your doctors, and give your family and friends peace of mind. An online program from the University of California, San Francisco​​​​​

• Health Care Agents: Information from the National Library of Medicine​

• The Conversation Project: The Conversation Project, an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care.​

• Honoring Choices Massachusetts: This consumer oriented non-profit organization focuses on the rights of every adult to direct their health care choices. You can access no cost downloadable care planning information, tool kits and conversations guides, make a personal care plan and work in partnership with your health care providers.​

• CaringInfo Advance Care Planning:  CaringInfo, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make decisions about serious illness and end-of-life care and services.