Taking it to the Net


1			Herman's mother has Parkinson's disease. He wants her to make some difficult end-of-life decisions while she still can. He and his mother discuss the options of a health-care power of attorney, a living will, and a DNR. What are the different purposes of these documents and what is the family's involvement in these decisions? http://patients.about.com/od/endoflifedecisions/a/advdirdocuments.htm http://www.elderweb.com/home/topics/Advance+Directives




2			Letitia, a recent widow, is interested in starting a program for widowed women in her community. In order to start the process of acquiring funding, she is exploring the possibility of foundation grants. As part of this process, she will need to investigate the available data on the nature and extent of widowhood in Canada today, including the age, sex, and socioeconomic status of widowed people. What type of information is available to her and her group? www.statcan.ca/english/research/11-621-MIE/11-621-MIE2004015.htm




3			Ellen has taken care of her mother throughout her long, lingering illness that has just been diagnosed as terminal. Ellen doesn't think she can continue to provide her mother with the type of care she needs. Her neighbour suggests she contact the local palliative care organization. What does palliative care offer to families in this situation? www.chpca.net/canadian_directory_of_services.htm www.hospicebc.org