An advance directive for the state where you live may not be effective in another state. Some states have provisions that respect out-of-state directives as long as they conform to the requirements of ...

Typically, the KERA Health Checkup looks at subjects about maintaining your health. But in connection with National Healthcare Decisions Day, we look at advance planning for terminal illness. Sam ...

I had hoped that by now most adults in this country would have completed an advance directive for medical care and assigned someone they trusted to represent their wishes if and when they are unable ...

More and more Americans say they want a “good” death, which usually means dying peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones. Documents called advance directives can help them achieve that goal by ...

An advance directive can be a crucial document when it comes to estate planning and preparing yourself for potential medical complications. If you live in California and you’re considering creating an ...

As an emergency physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, I see patients with life-threatening diseases every day. Often, it would be helpful to understand a patient’s individual wishes about their medical ...

It’s a common hope that most people share: that their end-of-life wishes will be respected if something happened and they couldn’t make their own health care decisions. Yet only about a third of ...

With over 35 years as a dedicated physician, I've witnessed the gift given to loved ones left behind when an advance directive is completed and available for healthcare professionals to follow in the ...

Toward the end of life — particularly for some frail, older individuals with chronic conditions — hospitalizations can become more frequent. While commonly these admissions are warranted, experts say, ...

Healthy adults may give little thought to injuries or illnesses. When the going is good, it is easy to forget about the less pleasant side effects of aging. However, putting off these conversations ...

Terri Schiavo's family probably never imagined the decisions they would have to make regarding her care. But the court battle surrounding this 41-year-old woman, who was in a vegetative state since a ...