Get the Facts: Legal Matters
A curated, annotated, and extensive list of links to vital caregiving information
Aging with Dignity is a non-profit that promotes better end-of-life care and affirms the human dignity of individuals as they age. Their Five Wishes is an easy-to-use, advance directive document that is legally valid in almost all states. Five Wishes helps all adults, regardless of age or health, to consider and document how they want to be cared for at the end of life. Dubbed “the living will with soul,” it is available both online and in print versions in 27 bilingual editions.
Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) is a national, non-profit organization that champions the civil rights of people with disabilities as well as those affected by cancer and other serious illnesses. Through the Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) they provide free confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to cancer survivors, caregivers, employers, health care professionals, and others coping with cancer.
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization provides free advance directives and instructions for each state in the US. In some states, Advanced Directives include both a Healthcare Proxy and a Living Will while others require them to be separate documents. Each state has different rules on this requirement.
Patient Advocate Foundation’s Patient Services provides patients with arbitration, mediation, and negotiation services to settle issues with access to care, medical debt, and job retention related to their illness.