Advance Care Planning Tools: Five Wishes

We are passionate about Georgians completing their advance care plans, and we strongly urge Georgians to complete the Georgia Advance Directive for Healthcare (see our last blog and the downloadable form).

The Georgia Advance Directive, however, is not the only advance care planning document available.

Five Wishes

In 1997, Aging with Dignity wrote “Five Wishes” in order to create an end-of-life tool kit. With the help of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and others, Five Wishes spread across the country.

Five Wishes is an easy to use resource that includes the Five Wishes advance directive and then some (available in 29 languages and Braille). In addition to helping with healthcare choices and appointing surrogate decision-makers, this document helps families plan for more end-of-life care. Through the use of conversation guides, families are guided in addressing emotional, spiritual, and personal aspects of end-of-life care.

A List of the 5 Wishes:
Wish 1: The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me When I Can’t
Wish 2: The Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don’t Want
Wish 3: How Comfortable I Want to Be
Wish 4: How I Want People to Treat Me
Wish 5: What I Want My Loved Ones to Know

According to analysis by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Law and Aging, Five Wishes currently meets the legal requirements for an advance directive in Georgia.

You can learn more about Five Wishes at www.fivewishes.org

If you have any questions or concerns about the Georgia Advance Directive, please contact our office through our website or by calling us at (404) 843-0121.