“It’s tempting to assume that if you tell one doctor what you want at the end of your life, that’s enough — what you want will be clearly documented and retrievable when it is needed, and the record will follow you wherever you go. Yet this critical information is sometimes not documented even when conversations do happen, or scattered through our electronic records, only intermittently accessible (and often only with time-consuming searching), with few standards or best practices to guide us.” Daniela Lamas, M.D

Because it can be challenging to get your wishes into the correct hands at all times, we encourage our clients to relay their wishes often and give copies of their medical directives to family members and healthcare providers.

You’ve Detailed Your Last Wishes, but Doctors May Not See Them