Having Your Voice
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Your Life, Your Death, Your Choice:
How to Have Your Voice to the End of Your Life
This is an e-book based on more than ten years of research and teaching providing you with the necessary resources for considering your end of life options. It is…
- Written for adults of all age
- Provides options and guidance for choosing your medical proxy and advanced medical directives
- Encourages reflection, choice making, and conversation
- Gives direct information about the implications of your choices
- Uses real world examples
- Enables interaction with over 65 web sites through links to videos, pod casts and articles
- Suggests tools and strategies to “have the conversation” with family, doctor, and your health care agent
- Addresses dementia and medical directives
- Includes forms to view, download, print, and complete
How To Use This Book
This e-book allows you to read on a computer or a tablet. External links (highlighted in grey) redirect the reader to relevant websites to view videos, listen to pod casts, see news programs, or read articles. Text boxes provide suggestions for reflection about your personal choices about end of life decisions and propose ways to start a conversation.
Chapter Outline
1. Why Complete Advanced Directives?
Everyone over 18 should complete a directive!
2. Forms to Choose From
There are many, which do you prefer?
3. Going Deeper and Beyond The Forms
12 treatment choices and their implications.
4. Other Important Issues
Treatment decisions which can impact your quality of life or violate your end of life choices.
5. Gray Areas and Dementia
Decide now, before it’s too late!
6. Death with Dignity and Assisted Dying
A growing movement.
7. Appendices
Forms to download and print.
The book is available in a variety of formats for different kinds of tablets and computers.
If there is an older adult who you think may benefit from the information in this book, but who may find the electronic format challenging, please buy it and read it with them. If you are younger, buy it for yourself, accidents and illness can strike at any time. Think about the Covid-19 pandemic. You should be prepared.
Please offer your thoughts on this website, about your reading, your reflection, and the important conversations you may have with those who are important to you!
Note
If you choose to read on a computer, you must download an e-book reader software. Ice Cream or Adobe e-book Reader work well on PC computers. Search your app store for e-book readers to select and download the one that appeals and matches your computer operating system (Mac or PC). It is important that your tablet or computer have sound so you can listen to and watch the videos.
UPDATES
Broken Hyperlink in Chapter 1
In Chapter 1 there is a link that reads:
Consider the Conversation 2: Stories About Cure, Relief, and Comfort
I am grateful to Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kuldhusdal, who produced this film and granted me permission to upload a new link. Consider the Conversation has won 22 awards and an Emmy nomination as a documentary about the importance of having serious conversations about end of life choices. To learn more about the film and purchase a copy visit:
https://considertheconversation.org
This extraordinary 2 minute trailer which is in Chapter 1 conveys many essential concerns of doctors about: 1) the lack of honesty between both patients and doctors, 2) the unintended consequences of powerful technology which can keep a body going, but with little quality of life, 3) the high likelihood that a patient will be hurt if they don’t have an ombudsman who knows what the patient wants, 4) the fierce attacks on doctors who broach the possibility that a loved one might not survive, and 5) the urgency they see in promoting serious and deep conversations. This link has been updated in the e-book
Broken Hyperlink in Chapter 1
At the very end of the chapter is an 8-minute video illustrating how a man with terminal cancer discusses his end of life wishes with a nurse in the presence of his wife. You will also see how the family reacts to his having made his choices and witness another family dealing with an eminent loss talking about how having made the decisions makes a big difference in the stress level. The link is no longer functional, but it can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6NTxUJpfW8&feature=youtu.be