Health Care Decisions

If you are in the hospital, the last thing you want is for a family member or a trusted friend to be denied information about your condition or prognosis.

The traditional way to communicate one’s wishes is through an advance directive, and a growing number of Americans have these documents.  But while advance directives are a good start, by themselves they may not guarantee that your wishes will be...

Five states have enacted laws giving terminally ill patients access to experimental drugs, and 25 other states are considering similar legislation. But it's unclear whether these so-called "right-to-try" laws will help anyone other than state legislators embracing a politically popular cause. ...

In an emergency, it can be difficult for family members or paramedics to get quick access to your medical information.

The popular New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast has created a graphic memoir of coping with her parents' final years, titled "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?" ...

In a case being closely watched by baby boomers throughout the country caring for aging parents, a Pennsylvania nurse has been charged with helping her 93-year-old father commit suicide.

Any complete estate plan should include a medical directive, which can encompass a number of different documents. ...

Elderlaw 101

Most people prefer to be cared for in their home rather than a nursing home, but finding a home care provider for you or a loved one can be daunting.

The refusal of a retirement home employee to administer CPR to a dying resident has gained international attention and sparked debate about both the legal responsibilities of independent living facilities and the efficacy of CPR itself.  ...