Hallmark Health Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice is offering the advanced health care directive "Five Wishes" at no charge to the public. Five Wishes is an easy to use legal document written in everyday language that lets adults of all ages plan how they want to be cared for in case they become seriously ill. The agency is offering the document at not charge.

According to Janet Schweitzer, Director of Program Development at Hallmark Health VNA and Hospice, "Five Wishes helps a person express how he wants to be treated if he is seriously ill and unable to speak for himself. . It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it speaks to all a person's needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also helps structure discussions with families and physicians."    

There are only ten states remaining in which Five Wishes does not yet meet the legal requirements. Five Wishes is accepted in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "Creating a living will can be an extremely important document, especially if a person has strong feelings about medical treatment and life support. A living will simply allows the person to specify how he wants to be medically treated, if at all, when he is seriously ill or otherwise unable to communicate his wishes," says Schweitzer.  "The Five Wishes document takes this a few steps further by helping a person outline where he wants to be treated, who he wants to be there, what kind of ceremony he would like to have when he  passes away, and more."    

Appropriately named, the Five Wishes advanced health care directive contains five specific wishes that any person may want to consider when severely ill. In the document the five wishes that a person will be asked to provide details on are:

• Wish #1: Who you want to hold "power of attorney" and be in charge of making decisions for you if you are not capable of making them yourself.
• Wish #2: The type of medical treatment you would like and the extent to which you want to be treated.
• Wish #3: The type of comforts you want when you are ill, such as whether or not you want to be given pain medication.
• Wish #4: Who you want to be present when you become seriously ill, and where you would like to be treated.
• Wish #5: What your last wishes are, who you would like to carry these out, and any other information you would like to pass on.

The "Five Wishes" document was designed by the Commission on Aging with Dignity, which is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1996 to affirm and safeguard human dignity, and to promote better care of the dying. Living in Mother Teresa's home for the dying in Washington, DC as a full-time volunteer inspired Aging with Dignity's founder, Jim Towey, to develop Five Wishes.

To receive a free copy of the Five Wishes, please call the Program Development Department of Hallmark Health VNA and Hospice at (781) 338-7902 or send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .