A University of Alabama Law School Clinical Program funded in part by West Alabama Regional Commission

RESOURCES

Statutes

1. The Alabama Natural Death Act is found at Alabama Code § 22-8A-2 et seq.; the Durable Power of Attorney Act at Alabama Code § 26-1-2 et seq..

Organizations

2. Caring Connections, a web site established by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation), offers excellent, sensitive advice for those seeking information about end-of-life-issues, caregiving, and related matters. It also provides the advance health care planning documents of every state. www.caringinfo.org.

3. Caring Conversations is a consumer education initiative developed by the Midwest Bioethics Center, located in Kansas City, MO, S, which helps individuals and their families find ways to talk about the medical realities and personal values to be considered in making end-of-life decisions. Web site at: http://www.practicalbioethics.org/cpb.aspx?pgID=886.

4. Aging With Dignity is a non-profit organization that publishes Five Wishes, a tool to help people decide and communicate their wishes about care at the end of life. Online at www.agingwithdignity.org or by phone 1-888-5-WISHES. This document does not meet Alabama's requirements for effective end-of-life decision-making. However, many people find it helpful in thinking about these matters. It could be appended to an Alabama Advance Health Care Directive.

Books

5. Chapter Seven of "Alabama Elder Law", by H. Lee and J. Taylor, pub. Thomson-West Publishing (updated annually), provides a history of health care decision-making in the U. S. and Alabama; a survey of pertinent laws, documents and cases; and discussions of relevant issues such as artificial nutrition and hydration, pain management and other matters.

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