We tend to think that medical decision making discussions are primarily for the elderly or for those with cancer. Yes, they need to plan, but this blog is directed at the rest of you who have completely ignored this issue.

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) still leaves some big issues unresolved. One of the most significant is care at the end of life.

The key to effective end-of-life planning is not to race through filling out legal documents, but rather to take our time to thoughtfully clarify our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and feelings about dying and death first.

Overwhelm, discomfort and superstition -- not very good reasons for failing to execute such critically important documents. Here are the top 5 excuses for not putting one's affairs in order.

Recently, a man stepping off a curb near my office was struck and killed by a passing bus. Only 49, he clearly had many productive years ahead. Readin...

Dad called yesterday to tell me he'd wheeled my mother into the cafeteria at the nursing home. He was elated, because Mom smiled and made eye contact.

Alzheimer's Disease is a cruel insult to anyone who suffers its indignity. This is the last, lingering chapter in a story that began with my mom's paralyzing stroke 19 years ago.

Forget about the health-reform debate for the moment. Should you have a living will specifying the kind of care you'd want at the end of life if you c...