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

If you were in the hospital and couldn’t speak, who would speak for you? 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, created in 2008 by Virginia lawyer Nathan Kottkamp, exists to educate the public and medical providers about the importance of advance care planning. To help Missourians express their wishes regarding health care – and help ensure providers and facilities respect those wishes – The Missouri Bar offers free Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Health Care Directive forms.  

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

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.