The Five Wishes

For far too long, we've been discussing the process of dying in whispers, behind closed doors - and often without the person who's dying!

I believe this cheats the patient of the chance to express her wishes. It cheats the family of the opportunity to know their loved one's wishes, so they don't have to guess. And it cheats both parties out of a chance to spend precious family time together.

Now, though, there's a much easier way to have this discussion.

It's a living will called "The Five Wishes." It's written in plain English - not legalese. It gives you the opportunity to express personal and spiritual wishes in addition to medical ones. It ensures your caretaker will know your wishes. And it gives your family peace of mind, knowing they won't have to make decisions - or guesses - as to what you'd want.

Five Wishes tells your family, your doctor, and your caregiver...

* Who you'd like to make healthcare decisions for you if you can no longer make them.

* What types of medical treatment you want - or don't want.

* How comfortable you want to be.

* How you want people to treat you.

* What you want your loved ones to know.

The document meets all legal requirements in 42 states - including Florida.

At www.agingwithdignity.org, they'll walk you through it step-by-step. And at The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we can do the same thing.

This isn't a pleasant discussion for any family. But we'll walk you and your family through it. So your wishes are adhered to. And so they'll know what you want.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we've been walking South Florida families through this process for 34 years. And we've walked them through financial issues as well as medical ones, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We can walk your family through it, too. And we're just a phone call away.