MEDIA ARTICLES:

• Forbes:

• "End-of-Life Communication Helps Families Cope With Loss" (01/31/07).
  
• Sample: "When doctors spent 10 minutes more than usual listening to the families of people dying in the intensive care unit and provided them with a brochure on bereavement, those family members were far less likely to suffer from stress, anxiety or depression after the death of their loved one."

• HealthDay News:

• "Choice of Health Care 'Proxy' Often Surprising", by Alan Mozes (08/21/06).
  
• Synopsis: "A third of married people would choose someone other than spouse to decide their care, study found." * * * " When your health declines so badly that you can no longer speak for yourself and choose your care, who should speak for you?Ideally, experts say, that's when a legally designated health-care "proxy" would take over. But, according to a new study, the choice of a proxy is often unexpected."
  

• Knight-Ridder: "Finding Our Way" Series:

• Synopsis: A series of fifteen articles published in the fall of 2001, by Knight-Ridder Tribune. The series is a short course on "death and dying", including practical advice, resources, and personal stories.
• Resources: See the series on its website, containing related links.
  

• Lawyers USA:

  • "Longer Life Spans Alter Estate Planning", by Dick Dahl (01/01/07).
    • Synopsis: As the life expectancy for Americans lengthens and the country grows grayer, trusts and estates lawyers say they're seeing the demographic impact in the world of estate planning.

• Los Angeles Times:

• "Life on her terms" -- by Susan Brink (02/05/07).
• Synopsis: "Like Art Buchwald, more terminally ill patients seem willing to forgo medical intervention. 'Enough is enough,' they say."

• Morning Call (Allentown, PA):

• "End-of-life care concerns should prompt discussions with doctors and families" (02/08/07).
• Excerpt: "There is a heightened public awareness in end-of-life care. Do you have a living will or other instructions should you become incapacitated because of injury, illness or age? Have you discussed your wishes for end-of-life care with your doctor and family? Are you confident that your written wishes as a patient — such as orders not to resuscitate — will be transferred to a hospice or nursing home, and then back to a hospital?"
  

• New York Times:

• "As a Life Ebbs, the Ultimate Family Quarrel", by Pam Belluck (10/28/04), as reposted by Parting Wishes

• News-Press (Southwestern Florida):

• "People should have freedom to take charge of their death: Humans deserve as much dignity as Barbaro" -- Guest Opinion by Joseph Gormley, retired teacher (02/05/07).
  

• Philadelphia Inquirer:

• "Let us not forsake the dying, says Pa. report", by Michael Vitez (02/05/07).
• Synopsis: "Death can linger as we live longer. Ideas: Help the caregivers, raise standards, redirect benefits, and honor last wishes. * * *Pennsylvania must do a much better job of caring for people with chronic illnesses in the last stages of life, according to a new state report."
• Note: For links regarding the referenced report issued by the PA Department of Aging, see PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog, “Improving End of Life Experiences for Pennsylvanians” (02/05/07).
  

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

  • "Doctor should give more information to puzzled elderly patients", by Jan Warner & Jan Collins (12/10/06).

• Reading Eagle:

• "Catholics seek guidance on end-of-life issues" (Associated Press, 01/12/2007).01/12/07).
• Synopsis: "Catholics around the country are turning to their churches for similar fill-in-the-blank documents that turn Catholic teachings into legally binding agreements about how they want to die. Many signers cite Terri Schiavo, whose case sparked a 15-year legal battle that grew beyond her family all the way to the White House over whether she should be allowed to die."

• Scientific American:

• "Advance directives may improve end-of-life care", by Amy Norton (06/09/07).
• Synopsis: "Families of patients who completed advance directives before their deaths tend to feel their loved ones received somewhat better end-of-life care, according to a new study. Nonetheless, there's still room for improvement."
  

• USA Today:

  • "In a Crisis, Do-Not-Revive Requests Don't Always Work", and "Talk It Over With Doctors, Family", both by Laura Parker (12/19/06).
    • Topic: Effectiveness & enforceability of Advance Care Directives to terminate life, and, specifically, a lawsuit, filed in 1997, drawing attention nationwide ready for trial after nearly a decade of legal wrangling, on these issues.

• World Net Daily:

• "Will you be the next Terri?" -- A post-Schiavo analysis of state laws reveals potential for similar dilemmas across country. (10/17/05).