A few months ago, we wrote a blog discussing the various resources you can access on the Mass Gov site for elders and caregivers. Yet, as mentioned in a recent blog post, Palliative Care and Making Life More Wonderful, palliative care and end of life planning are an under discussed topic. So, today we wanted to share with you more government resources that you might find useful regarding health care proxies, hospice and palliative care.
Massachusetts Medical Society
On the Massachusetts Medical Society site, they have a section dedicated to health care proxies and end of life care. One of the things we love about this resource is that it offers the Health Care Proxy form in 9 languages. This means if English isn’t your primary language, or if there is someone in your family whose first language isn’t English, then having it in the preferred language can be extremely beneficial in understanding the document. It’s offered in Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Russian, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Khmer, and Albanian.
Not only does this site provide the Health Care Proxy in different languages, but it also links to various other resources. You can check out the section from the Massachusetts Medical Society on health care proxy information and forms. Here you can retrieve information on the form as well as access some suggested discussion questions to review and guide you through determining who you want to name. Of course, at Family Estate Planning Law Group, our team will guide you through this process as well, but this is great homework you can do ahead of time.
The health care proxies and end of life care section also provides links to tools for beginning conversations with loved ones, information on end-of-life issues, and other planning resources.
Honoring Choices® Massachusetts
Another resource the Mass Medical Society site directs you to is Honoring Choices® Massachusetts. This is an expansive resource in it of itself. Honoring Choices® Massachusetts is a non-profit focused on “the rights of every adult to direct their health care choices and make a plan to receive the best possible care that honors their values & choices, all through their lives” (Honoring Choices® Massachusetts). They have great tool kits and multilingual documents. They have community and alliance partners that are united in providing common language and homogenous Massachusetts planning tools, and you can explore these partners as well, as they are also great resources.
Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts
Lastly, you should explore the Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts site. This site offers educational resources like webinars and in-person seminars. They recently did a seminar on “Caring for Vietnam-Era Veterans at End of Life”. There are links to information on hospice care including bereavement help, a hospice locator, how to pay for hospice, and much more. And, if that was an intimidating sentence to read, the information provided on the site should help make it all feel more accessible. Additionally, there are links to resources and information regarding palliative care and a section dedicated to veterans. In the palliative care section, they also provide information on pediatric palliative care. This site is rife with information that will make you feel more knowledgeable about hospice and palliative care whether you want to know in order to prepare for your own care in the future or if you are caring for a loved one. If you are a caregiver, there are also resources for grieving.
As we learned about in the Palliative Care and Making Life More Wonderful blog, palliative and hospice care if approached correctly and planned for in advance, can enable you to take control of how you die, so that you do not need to fear suffering. Take control of your end of life care by exploring these resources and scheduling a meeting with our team to help you put an end of life plan in place.
At Family Estate Planning Law Group, we are experienced in helping you plan for end of life with dignity, helping you discuss your wishes with your family while also becoming a resource for them, and in ensuring you have the financial wherewithal to support your plan.
To learn more about how we can help you plan for end of life care through your estate plan, schedule your complimentary consultation today.