End of life issues: practical preparation

Guests: Karen Martin, Anne Heinold, Ron Messner

Show notes:
• Importance of advanced directives.
• Importance of planning your death.
• Recommended documents.
• Importance of involving your physician in end of life planning.
• Importance of having ready access to completed end of life forms.
• Have all necessary passwords for accessing online accounts.
• How to spare the surviving spouse from making difficult end of life decisions for a dying spouse.
• Importance of hope when faced with end of life.
• Privilege of walking through death with another.
• How strong should one fight to live?
• Consequences of life-extending treatments.
• Financial implications of fighting to extend life.
• Quality of life when fighting to extend life.
• Importance of having a family conference for effective communications.
• How is letting death occur different than euthanasia?