Wants, Wishes, and Wills: A Medical and Legal Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family in Sickness and in Health

Wants, Wishes, and Wills: A Medical and Legal Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family in Sickness and in Health

by Esq. Wynne A. Whitman, M.D. Shawn D. Glisson
Released May 2007
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780131568983

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Book description

A terminal diagnosis... a life-threatening disease... recognition of one's own mortality... or simply planning ahead. All of these lead individuals to contemplate difficult end-of-life decisions. But, when they do, they find themselves confused, desperately seeking guidance: about living wills, health care proxies, and their own care, wishes, and affairs. Dr. Shawn D. Glisson and Wynne A. Whitman help people face these issues every day -- Glisson as a respected oncologist, Whitman as an experienced estate lawyer. Now, they've come together to give readers all the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Glisson and Whitman help you answer questions like: How can I make sure I get the best possible care to fight my disease? How do I choose a health care representative to make decisions in light of continuing medical advances? How do I prepare a living will that accurately expresses my views on dying? How do I decide which care regimen is right for me? Will alternative therapies help me? What do I need to know about hospice care? Should I donate my organs, and if so, how? How do I communicate my wishes regarding my possessions? What's the best way to plan my estate and minimize my taxes? Above all, how do I make sure my wishes are followed? This book doesn't offer "one size fits all" answers. It provides the compassionate, up-to-date, plain-English guidance you need to decide for yourself... and stay in control of your life.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. About the Authors
  4. Foreword
  5. Introduction
  6. I. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Health and Medical Situation
    1. 1. Health and Medical Wants: Your Personal Health Care System
      1. A Guide to Creating Your Personal Health Care System
      2. Health and Medical Wants
    2. 2. Health and Medical Wishes: Providers, Facilities, and Programs
      1. A Guide to Medical Experts
      2. A Guide to Choosing Medical Facilities
      3. A Guide to Pharmacies
      4. A Guide to Medical Palliation Programs and Hospice
      5. Health and Medical Wishes
    3. 3. Health and Medical Wills: Your Medical Conditions
      1. A Guide to Determining Your Current Health Status
      2. Health and Medical Wills
  7. II. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Personal Situation
    1. 4. Personal Wants: Doctors and Dialogue
      1. A Guide to Communicating Better with Your Providers
        1. Who Are Your Health Care Providers?
        2. Where Were Your Last Tests Done?
        3. What Medicines Are You Taking?
        4. What Are You Allergic To? What Are You Intolerant Of?
        5. How Are You Feeling?
        6. What’s Your Health History?
      2. A Guide to Your Protected Health Information
        1. Past Medical History
        2. Medications/Allergies
        3. Family History
        4. Social History
      3. Personal Wants
    2. 5. Personal Wishes: Screening and Counseling
      1. A Guide to Health Counseling
      2. A Guide to Screening for Health Conditions
      3. Personal Wishes
    3. 6. Personal Wills: Drugs, Diets, and Devices
      1. A Guide to Drug Discovery, Distribution, and Delivery
      2. A Guide to Beneficial Diets
      3. A Guide to Devices
      4. Personal Wills
  8. III. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Medical-Legal Affairs
    1. 7. Medical-Legal Wants: Understanding Interventions
      1. A Guide to Airway Interventions
      2. A Guide to Breathing Interventions
      3. A Guide to Circulatory Interventions
      4. A Guide to Discomfort Interventions
      5. A Guide to Enteric Interventions
      6. Medical-Legal Wants
    2. 8. Medical-Legal Wishes: Defining Capacity, Consciousness, and Contingencies
      1. A Guide to Evaluating Medical Capacity and Comas
      2. A Guide to Choosing Medical End-of-Life Points
      3. A Guide to Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
      4. Medical-Legal Wishes
    3. 9. Medical-Legal Wills: Directives, Definitions, and Discussions
      1. A Guide to Health Care Proxies and Living Wills
      2. A Guide to Powers of Attorney
      3. A Guide to Communicating Your Health Care Wants and Wishes
      4. Medical-Legal Wills
  9. IV. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Selfless Contributions
    1. 10. Selfless Contribution Wants: Donating Time, Tissue, and Treatment Data
      1. A Guide to Patient Advocacy Communities
      2. A Guide to Donation Communities
        1. Organ Donations
        2. Blood Donations
        3. Bone Marrow
        4. Scientific Research
      3. A Guide to Research Communities
      4. Selfless Contribution Wants
    2. 11. Selfless Contribution Wishes: Individual Purpose, Production, and Protection
      1. A Guide to Goal Setting
      2. A Guide to Time Management
      3. A Guide to Liability Protection
      4. Selfless Contribution Wishes
    3. 12. Selfless Contribution Wills: Donation Requirements, Responsibilities, and Rights
      1. A Guide to Informed Consent
      2. A Guide to Record Keeping and Reporting
        1. Scientific Data
      3. A Guide to Donation Ownership
      4. Selfless Contribution Wills
  10. V. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Estate Planning
    1. 13. Estate Planning Wants: Purpose, Preparation, and Protection
      1. Beneficiary Designations
      2. Joint Tenants
      3. Tenants-in-Common
      4. Individual Assets
      5. A Guide to the Purposes and Benefits of Estate Planning
      6. A Guide to Protecting Your Estate from Taxes
      7. A Guide to Finding Estate Planning Professionals
      8. Estate Planning Wants
    2. 14. Estate Planning Wishes: Caring for Family, Friends, and Foundations
      1. A Guide to Planning for Relatives
        1. Your Parents
        2. Your Young Children
        3. Disabled Loved Ones
      2. A Guide to Planning for Nonrelatives
      3. A Guide to Planning for Charities
      4. Estate Planning Wishes
    3. 15. Estate Planning Wills: Testaments, Trusts, and Other Tools
      1. A Guide to Last Wills and Testaments
      2. A Guide to Trusts
      3. A Guide to Other Estate Planning Tools
      4. Estate Planning Wills
  11. VI. The Wants, Wishes, and Wills of Your Legacy
    1. 16. Legacy Wants: Providing Ideas, Instructions, and Intentions
      1. A Guide to Letters and Lessons of Love
      2. A Guide to Letters of Instruction
      3. A Guide to Funeral Planning
      4. Legacy Wants
    2. 17. Legacy Wishes: Assisting Family, Friends, and Future Generations to Remember
      1. A Guide to Your Personal Identity
      2. A Guide to Family Tree Preparation
      3. Legacy Wishes
    3. 18. Your Legacy Wills: Your Safety, Your Rights, and Your Records
      1. A Guide to Medical Safety
      2. A Guide to Patients’ Rights
      3. A Guide to Your Records
      4. A Guide to Personal Information Storage
      5. Legacy Wills
  12. Conclusion
    1. Your Wants, Wishes, and Wills
  13. Additional Resources
    1. Suggested Readings List
    2. Web Site Resources
  14. Glossary
  15. Financial Times Press

Product information

  • Title: Wants, Wishes, and Wills: A Medical and Legal Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family in Sickness and in Health
  • Author(s): Esq. Wynne A. Whitman, M.D. Shawn D. Glisson
  • Release date: May 2007
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780131568983