Advance Directives/Living Wills

AARP: Why All Adults Should Have a Living Will OR Advance Directive Forms - AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.

Aging with Dignity: Five Wishes - This living will is written in everyday language and helps start and structure important conversations about care in times of serious illness. There is a charge for the document.

American Cancer Society: Advance Directives - The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.
Also in Spanish.

CaringInfo: Advance Directives - The CaringInfo website was created by The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization to provide free, easy-to-understand resources. Here you can learn how to prepare and store your advance directive. To download your state's advance directive, click here.
Also in Spanish.

Cancer.Net: Putting Your Healthcare Wishes in Writing - This is the patient information website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). It is designed to help patients and families make informed health care decisions. 
Also in Spanish

Eldercare Locator: Advance Care Planning Fact Sheets - This nationwide service connects older Americans and their caregivers with trustworthy local support resources.

MayoClinic: Living Wills and Advance Directives - This site provides access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic.

Medical Society of New Jersey: Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Form - This completed form will allow patients at home, through their physicians, to choose comfort measures over aggressive resuscitative attempts at the end of life.
This document is in PDF format and will require an Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.

MedlinePlus: Advance Directives - Developed by the National Library of Medicine, this consumer health site directs the user to selected online resources on many common diseases, conditions, and concerns.
Also in Spanish.

National Cancer Institute: Advance Directives - The NCI, established under the National Cancer Act of 1937, is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training. Here you will find a fact sheet explaining advance directives.
Also in Spanish.

National Healthcare Decisions Day - Learn about the importance of advance care planning.

National POLST - A POLST form tells all health care providers during a medical emergency what you want. Learn all about it here.

NJ Health: Advance Directive - This site will give you information on what an advance directive is and will also explain the POLST form.

 

Interactive Tutorials / Videos
 

Advanced Directives in Cancer Care: Get what you need - This video from NCCN talks about what the importance of forward planning during cancer care, ensuring that your needs are known, honored, and met.

Prepare - Prepare is a program that can help you make medical decisions for yourself and others, talk with your doctors, and get the medical care that is right for you. This site is equipped with audio and there are many videos for you to watch.

TEDx Stanford- Advanced Directives and Living Wills - Tom and Jennifer Brokaw talk about the importance of planning ahead.

YouTube Playlist: Advanced Directives - A short playlist of videos on advanced directives, curated by the Resource and Learning Center.

 

March 2024