End of Life Stories - Aging News Alert

Lawmakers, Practitioners Ponder End-of-Life Policies

During the briefing, lawmakers discussed the rapidly aging U.S. population and the growing need to improve care for people with serious illnesses and those nearing the end of life. Participants cited the popularity of such books as Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, M.D., as evidence that Americans are increasingly interested in receiving the type of care they want and need during such critical times.

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POLST Compliments Advance Care Directives

People with serious illnesses or frailty often receive treatment not aligned with what they want, in part because they haven’t discussed or documented their care preferences. The POLST form addresses this problem by effectively capturing people’s wishes and making these preferences accessible to health care providers.

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2016 Doc Fee Schedule Rule Allows End-of-Life Counseling

The rule, which takes effect in January, will allow Medicare to reimburse health care professionals for time spent discussing plans for end-of-life care with patients and their families. Such planning helps ensure that patients’ wishes are honored at a critical time.

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Canada Moves Closer to Adopting Assisted Suicide Measure

The Canadian government’s Expert Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter v. Canada has returned from its fact-finding trip to Portland, OR, where it learned how assisted dying, which has been legal in Oregon for nearly 20 years, is practiced.

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A Guide for Compassionate End-of-Life Conversations

To help facilitate an effective and compassionate conversation about hospice care, an expert clincian who has 20 years of palliative care experience assembled this hospice conversation guide.

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Maryland Could Become Next ‘Assisted Suicide’ State

Maryland could become the next state to pass legislation authorizing physician-assisted suicide. The proposed Richard E. Israel and Roger "Pip" Moyer Death With Dignity Act will move to a legislative working group in preparation for its reintroduction next January.

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Canadian Report’s Findings Mirror U.S. on End-of-Life Care

The provincial advisor on the quality of health care in Ontario offers recommendations in a comprehensive new report closely mirroring similar reports produced in the United States, including one from the Institute of Medicine published this past summer,

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