Infographic: The Importance of Talking About End of Life Care

What Do You Want?

It’s not easy, but the medical treatments you would want near the end of life need to be discussed with others. If you never bring up the topic of end-of-life decisions, and you were unexpectedly incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself, your medical wishes would never be known.

Despite the topic’s importance, only 27% of Americans report having talked with their families about end-of-life care. The best way to make your medical wishes known is to create an advance directive and share it with your family and your doctor.

Advance Directives

An advance directive is actually two legal documents that enable you to plan and communicate your end-of-life wishes. When you create your advance directive, you are being proactive about your medical care and sparing your loved ones from having to make difficult medical decisions in a time of crisis.

Don’t wait for a crisis. Create your advance directive, share copies with your loved ones and doctor and keep your copy in an accessible location others can find.