The Missouri Bar provides free form to assist Missourians for National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16

It’s not fun to talk about end-of-life decisions, but many advocates say doing so can help take stress off loved ones later. Missourians can easily set up their own durable power of attorney for health care thanks to free materials authored by volunteer lawyers and provided by The Missouri Bar.

The free advance care directive form is available 24/7, but the occasion of National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16, 2020, makes it a particularly timely resource. National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is a national effort that brings together state and community groups across the nation to educate the public about the importance of making advance health care decisions and empower them to complete an advance care directive.

“It’s not always easy to talk about, but it’s important that your family knows about your end-of-life care wishes,“ said 2019-20 Missouri Bar President Tom Bender. “And it’s better to have that conversation well in advance of when you face those circumstances. The Missouri Bar is here to help make it easier with some easy-to-follow forms that help ensure your health care choices are honored while also preventing your family members and providers from having to make those decisions alone.” 

 Bender noted the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and a Health Care Directive is available, in English and Spanish, at no charge to Missourians. The form, drafted by licensed Missouri lawyers, puts your decisions in writing and allows you to designate an agent to carry them out. The forms are available by calling 573-635-4128 or online at http://missourilawyershelp.org/legal-topics/durable-power-of-attorney-for-health/.

To learn more about NHDD, advance health care planning, directives and other tools for starting the conversation, visit TheConversationProject.org/NHDD.