Five Wishes
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) advance directive created by the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity
Aging with Dignity
Aging with Dignity is a national non-profit organization based in Tallahassee, Florida. The stated mission of Aging with Dignity is to "honor the God-given human dignity of the most vulnerable among us." The primary focus of Aging with Dignity is to improve end-of-life care by encouraging people...
. It has been described as the "living will with a heart and soul."
History
Five Wishes was originally introduced in 1996 as a Florida-only document, combining a living willLiving will
An advance health care directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, or advance decision, are instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or...
and health care power of attorney
Health care proxy
A Health Care Proxy is an instrument that allows a patient to appoint an agent to make health care decisions in the event that the primary individual is incapable of executing such decisions. Once the document is drafted, the primary individual continues to be allowed to make health care decisions...
in addition to addressing matters of comfort care and spirituality. With help from the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
's Commission on Law and Aging and leading medical experts, a national version of Five Wishes was introduced in 1998. It was originally distributed with support from a grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the United States' largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care; it is based in Princeton, New Jersey. The foundation's mission is to improve the health and health care of all Americans...
. With assistance from the United Health Foundation
UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a diversified health and "well-being" company. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services through two operating businesses: United Healthcare and Optum. Through its family of subsidiaries and divisions,...
, Five Wishes is now available in 26 languages and in Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
. More than 14 million documents have been distributed by a network of over 23,000 partner organizations worldwide. An online version called Five Wishes Online was introduced in April 2011 allowing users to complete the document using an online interface or print out a blank version to complete by hand.
The Five Wishes
Wishes 1 and 2 are both legal documents. Once signed, they meet the legal requirements for an advance directive in the states listed below. Wishes 3, 4 and 5 are unique to Five Wishes, in that they address matters of comfort care, spirituality, forgiveness, and final wishes.Wish 1: The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me When I Can't
This section is an assignment of a health care agent (also called proxy, surrogate, representative or health care power of attorneyHealth care proxy
A Health Care Proxy is an instrument that allows a patient to appoint an agent to make health care decisions in the event that the primary individual is incapable of executing such decisions. Once the document is drafted, the primary individual continues to be allowed to make health care decisions...
). This person makes medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to speak for yourself.
Wish 2: The Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don't Want
This section is a living will—a definition of what life support treatment means to you, and when you would and would not want it.Wish 3: How Comfortable I Want to Be
This section addresses matters of comfort care—what type of pain management you would like, personal grooming and bathing instructions, and whether you would like to know about options for hospiceHospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
care, among others.
Wish 4: How I Want People to Treat Me
This section speaks to personal matters, such as whether you would like to be at home, whether you would like someone to pray at your bedside, among others.Wish 5: What I Want My Loved Ones to Know
This section deals with matters of forgiveness, how you wish to be remembered and final wishes regarding funeralFuneral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
or memorial plans.
Signing and Witnessing Requirements
The last portion of the document contains a section for signing the document and having it witnessed. Some states require notarization, and are so indicated in the document.Meets Legal Requirements in 42 States
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 the following 42 states and the District of Columbia. In the remaining 8 states, (Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Utah) a statutory form is required, and one must attach the state document if one wishes to use the Five Wishes document as a guide.| Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado |
| Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii |
| Idaho | Illinois | Iowa | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada |
| New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota |
| Oklahoma | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota |
| Tennessee | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming |