Dr. K talks with Rebecca Sudore, MD, an expert on end-of-life planning and the creator of PrepareForYourCare.org. They discuss why talking about what matters is so important, easy-to-read advance directives and other tools Dr. Sudore has developed, how to help reluctant older adults address advance care planning, and much more.

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with geriatrician Rebecca Sudore, MD, an expert in helping older adults address advance directives, end-of-life planning, and other aspects of advance care planning. Dr. Sudore is the creator of PREPARE, an easy-to-use online program designed to help older adults talk about what matters most with family members and health professionals. She is also a Professor in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. They discuss:

Why Dr. Sudore created California’s first easy-to-read advance directive form in 2005

What families in focus groups told her, about making decisions for someone else

Why it’s important to address more than legal forms and end-of-life situations

Why older adults need to discuss what matters to them, with family and with their health providers

How PREPARE uses short videos and worksheets to help older adults think through what matters, and share their values with others

Her research proving that PREPARE does help older adults address planning

Why many older adults don’t address advance planning, and how we might change this

Advance care planning for Alzheimer’s and other dementias

Tips on getting reluctant older parents to talk about their wishes and address their planning

How to find an easy-to-use advance directive for all 50 states on the PREPARE website

Related episodes: 

071 – Interview: How Estimating Life Expectancy Helps Older Adults Get Better Care

063 – Giving Yourself (And Your Family) a Gift on National Healthcare Decisions Day

Related Resources:

PrepareForYourCare.org

The online PREPARE program with videos

The PREPARE question guide in PDF workbook format

Easy-to-Read Advance Directives (by state)

PREPARE movie

The Conversation Project: Starter Kits (PDF workbooks)

Advance care planning resources for Alzheimer’s and other dementias:

Conversation Starter Kit for families of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia

Advance Directive for Dementia

One Day Your Mind May Fade. At Least You’ll Have a Plan. (New York Times)

Rebecca Sudore’s related research:

Engaging Diverse English- and Spanish-Speaking Older Adults in Advance Care Planning: The PREPARE Randomized Clinical Trial

Effect of the PREPARE Website vs an Easy-to-Read Advance Directive on Advance Care Planning Documentation and Engagement Among Veterans A Randomized Clinical Trial

Outcomes that Define Successful Advance Care Planning: A Delphi Panel Consensus

Improving a Full Range of Advance Care Planning Behavior Change and Action Domains: The PREPARE Randomized Trial

BHWA: Articles on Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life

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