Five Wishes

Aging with Dignity was founded in 1996 as a private, nonprofit organization with a mission to safeguard and affirm the human dignity of every person who faces the challenges and opportunities of aging or serious illness. Based on the company's founders experiences working in Mother Teresas homes for the dying, the company wanted to ensure that ever... y person facing the end of life is given the opportunity to talk about what matters most, and to ensure their wishes are known. With the help of the American Bar Association and end-of-life experts, and with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in 1998 the company developed the Five Wishes advance directive document. The document was designed to be accessible, legal, and easy-to-understand with the goal of helping people discuss and document their wishes in a non-threatening, life-affirming way. Written in user-friendly lay language, Five Wishes was the first advance directive to address personal, emotional, and spiritual issues in addition to meeting medical and legal criteria. Because the document is based on what is important to people, it has been widely embraced by families, community groups, faith communities, and medical and legal providers. Today, Five Wishes is the most trusted resource for people who want to plan for care in advance of a health crisis. The Five Wishes advance directive document has been distributed by over 40,000 organizations and has reached over 30 million individuals, and Five Wishes has grown into a comprehensive program with robust tools for healthcare providers, businesses, communities, as well as individuals and families. The company is continuing to grow and find new ways to ensure that every person is given the opportunity to have meaningful, compassionate conversations about what matters most so that however a person arrives at the end of life whether through accident or illness - their wishes are known and documented, and their families are well-prepared and supported in making end-of-life decisions.Read More