Resources & Glossary

Advance Care Planning
Five Wishes: www.fivewishes.org
A user-friendly, values-based advance directive used in many states.

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CaringInfo – State-by-State Advance Directives: www.caringinfo.org/planning/advance-directives
Download free legal forms specific to your state.

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PREPARE for Your Care: www.prepareforyourcare.org
Step-by-step guidance to help you plan and communicate your healthcare wishes.

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POLST & Emergency Medical Orders
National POLST: www.polst.org
Learn whether your state uses a POLST or MOLST form and how it works alongside your advance directive.

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Body Disposition & Death Care Options
Funeral Consumers Alliance: www.funerals.org
Advocacy and education on your legal rights and options when planning a funeral.

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Green Burial Council: www.greenburialcouncil.org
Info on eco-friendly burial options and certified providers.

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End-of-Life Advocacy
Death with Dignity National Center: www.deathwithdignity.org
A national leader in end-of-life advocacy and policy reform, providing resources and support for individuals seeking information on death with dignity laws across various states.

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For Those Without Support
The Conversation Project: www.theconversationproject.org
Tools to help you talk about your wishes—even if you don’t have family support.

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General Info & Guidance
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): www.nhpco.org



Glossary 

Advance Directive
A legal document that lets you spell out your medical wishes and name someone to speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself. It kicks in only if you’re unable to make decisions.

Body Disposition
A fancy way of saying what happens to your body after death—like burial, cremation, or donation.

Comfort Care
A general term for care that focuses on relieving suffering and improving quality of life. It includes both palliative care and hospice care.

Palliative Care
Comfort care while still pursuing curative measures like chemo or surgery. It’s about improving quality of life at any stage of serious illness.

Hospice
A specific type of palliative care for people in the final stage of life, typically with a prognosis of six months or less. The focus is on comfort and symptom management rather than curing the illness.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
A medical order that tells healthcare providers—not just EMTs, but also doctors and nurses in hospitals—not to attempt CPR or restart your heart if it stops.

Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
The person you name in your advance directive to speak on your behalf if you can’t speak for yourself.

End-of-Life Doula / Death Doula
A non-medical support person who helps people and loved ones before, during, and after death—providing logistical, emotional, and spiritual support.

Green Burial
A natural burial without embalming, metal caskets, or vaults. The body is allowed to return to the earth with minimal environmental impact.

MOLST / POLST
A medical form signed by a doctor that outlines specific treatment preferences—like whether or not to perform CPR or use a feeding tube. It’s designed for people with serious illness or frailty and is meant to be followed by first responders and emergency medical personnel during a crisis.

Proxy / Healthcare Proxy
The person you’ve legally chosen to make healthcare decisions if you can’t. Sometimes called an agent or surrogate.

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