​August is ​​National Make a Will Month

​​National Make a Will Month highlights the critical importance of preparing for the future. This month, individuals are urged to take proactive steps in creating a will, ensuring that their assets are distributed according to their wishes and providing peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones. To simplify this process, the National Council on Aging, in partnership with FreeWill, offers a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for drafting a legally binding will. By visiting FreeWill, individuals can utilize a user-friendly and cost-free platform to create their wills, making this essential planning task more accessible than ever.

Click here​ to create your legally-binding will with FreeWill.

National Healthcare Decisions Day

​​​Need Help Starting the Conversation?

1. Day One: National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) 
• April 16th marks National Healthcare Decision Day (NHDD) 
  
  
2. Day Two: Start with Yourself 
• A day to think about  your own healthcare decisions 
  
  
3. Day Three: Family, Friends, and Loved Ones ​​
   
• A day to discuss your wishes with others (and learn their wishes)​
  
  
4. Day Four: Spread the Word 
   
• A day to tell others that you've engaged in advance care planning and encourage them to
  do the same 
  
  
5. Day Five: Focusing on Facilities
   
• A day for healthcare providers of all sorts to promote advance care planning 
  
  
6. Day Six: Professional Preparedness 
   
• A day to ensure that all professionals understand and can promote advance care planning 
  
  
7. Day Seven: Reflection and Readiness 
• Consider what you've learned during NHDD week and share your experience with others
  

Resources 

• ​Checklist for Creating an Advance Healthcare Directive
• NPR Article: End-Of-Life Planning Is A 'Lifetime Gift' To Your Loved Ones​
• ​11 Ideas for When Someone is Having a Hard Time Talking About Their Wishes for Healthcare​
  
• ​How to Tell Someone Your Wishes When They Don't Want to Listen

• Step-by-Step Guide to Advance Care Planning​​​

Links

• My Living Voice 
• National Elder Law Foundation 
• PREPARE
• CaringInfo, a program of the National Hospice ​& Palliative Care Organization​​​
• ​Long-Term Care Planning Toolkit​
  
• MyDirectives.com 
  
• Free Will: The National Council on Aging
• The Conversation Project
• National Healthcare Decisions Day​ Resources for Professionals​​
• Maryland​​ Attorney General: Advance Directives
• Aging with Diginity
  
• MHCC Advance Directives Toolkit
  

​​Videos

• ​​​​​​​​Kurt Schmoke, President of the University of Baltimore and former mayor of Baltimore City, explains the value of advance care planning at https://youtu.be/jkUW1lFshgo​
• TEDTALK: Making End of Life Care Matter
• Begin the Conversation
  
• Understanding End of Life Care Options, National Institute Care on Aging​
• Don't Panic, It's Ok: A Letter to Loved Ones Making Difficult Choices​​

Documents

• ​​Living Will Example​
  
• Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment
  
• A Guide to Maryland Law on HealthCare Decisions (with Forms)
• A Guide to Maryland Law on HealthCare Decisions (with Forms for Visually Impaired)
• Your Life, Your Decisions, Advance Directives Information Sheet
• A Guide to Making Medical Decisions for Someone Else
  
• Maryland MOLST form
  
• Maryland Health Care Commission Electronic Advance Directives Flyer​