In honor of National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), Wednesday April 16, 2008, the next couple weeks will be devoted to providing information and sharing resources for advance health care planning. Please join me for my Monticello NHDD event or contact participating organizations in your state to find a local event. Check out this page for all the postings on NHDD and advance care planning.
The American Bar Association’s Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly has a great article on myths about advance medical directives. Among these myths are “Advance Directives are a legal tool for old people,” “If I do not have an Advance Directive, I can rely on my family to make my health care decisions when I am unable to make decisions for myself,” and “An Advance Directive Means ‘Don’t Treat.”
To read about these and the seven other myths, check out the full article, 10 Legal Myths About Advance Medical Directives.