An advance directive is a legally binding document regulated by state laws. Advance directives are subject to The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA), 1990, a federal law that encourages individuals ...

An advance directive is a way to tell your loved ones and doctors your wishes if something happens and you can’t speak for yourself. A directive can include the type and extent of your medical care.

Completing an advance directive form is a great way to write down health care wishes before a medical crisis occurs. These legal documents help loved ones and doctors know what medical treatments a ...

November is national caregiver month and hopefully many of the local caregivers attended Friday’s annual Caregiver Conference hosted by Maui County Office on Aging. If not, put it on your calendar for ...

States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

More clinicians now use Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms to record care wishes for nursing facility residents, but whether the resulting conversations lead to high-quality care ...

In my family, we hate to talk about dying and death. Bring up the topic of how you might want things handled in case of a serious accident or illness, and a hush descends. “Let’s not talk about that ...

Are you interested in having one on file? The best time to prepare your Advanced Medical Directive (pdf) is before a circumstance arises where one may be needed. An Advance Health Care Directive (or ...

A serious cycling accident on Gibraltar Road, a freeway collision, a stroke — any of these could take away your ability to communicate, and they can happen at any age. The Advance Care Directive is a ...

If you are in a medical crisis and are unable to speak for yourself due to the critical nature of the illness, who will speak for you — from a place of knowledge? Some state their adult children will ...

This piece is a guest-written essay by Leilani Graham, a Palo Alto native and graduate of Henry M. Gunn High School. Leilani is now a San Francisco-based writer, speaker, and patient advocate. She is ...