Choices That Matter

Why write an advance directive? There's a beautiful quote from Dr. Ira Byock, a leader in end-of-life care, "I have an Advance Directive not because I have a serious illness but because I have a family."

If you became incapacitated, would your family know your wishes for care?

Advance care planning can guide them about

your wishes for end-of-life care.

That's the why, but what about the how? Choices That Matter Community Conversation can educate you, help you start the conversation with your family and friends, assist the paperwork, and make sure copies are where they need to be. Launched in 2010, Choices That Matter is one of our most asked-about programs.

Dr. Seuss Does Advance Directives: A Tim Boon Poem

We know that talking with family or friends about advance directives and end-of-life care can be a daunting task. Here's how Tim Boon, the director of Good Shepherd Community Care (GSCC) in Newton, MA solved that problem. GSCC is an independent, community-based, not-for-profit, non-sectarian, hospice care agency, the first organized in Massachusetts 40 years ago.

Healthy Aging Initiatives