Make your end-of-life care wishes known with free online forms

If you were in the hospital and couldn’t speak, who would be your voice? Would they know what your wishes are? 

No one likes talking about death or end-of-life matters, but on April 16, The Missouri Bar is encouraging individuals to do just that as part of National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).

NHDD – created in 2008 by Virginia lawyer Nathan Kottkamp – exists to inspire, educate, and empower the public and medical providers about the importance of advance care planning. To help Missourians express their wishes regarding health care – and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes – The Missouri Bar provides free Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Directive forms.  

These forms allow individuals to record their choices for care, including decisions on life-prolonging procedures and organ donation. Individuals can also outline who they want to carry out their health care wishes. 

But NHDD doesn’t end there. Communication is a key part of having health care wishes carried out, and that means sharing your wants with those you love. While these discussions might seem awkward or uncomfortable, they are incredibly important. The Conversation Project, which now manages NHDD across the country, has a variety of resources to help make the talk a little less tough. Ultimately, making your health care wishes known early can prevent challenges for your loved ones in the future.  

To learn more about NHDD and how you can complete your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Directive form, go to MissouriLawyersHelp.org.