The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is another tool frequently used with older adults (Charlson, Pompei, Ales & Mackenzie, 1987). It is comprised of 19 comorbid conditions that give a complete indication of the patient's state of health. The basic activities of daily living (ADLs) include bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, feeding, communication, visual capability and walking. These functions are assessed through direct examination of the specific activity. Instrumental activities of

Ethical Leadership Advance directives are a way to help people ensure that their wishes are carried out at the end of their lives, even if they are no longer in a state to communicate these wishes. Indeed, these kinds of directives exist precisely for the purpose of ensuring a person's wishes are established during a time when they are able to state these clearly and without any ambiguity (Mitty, 2012). Importantly,

Living Wills All too often, living wills are something "swept under the rug" by patients who need them and by those who could help patients set them up and get them in place. When a patient goes to the hospital, either to be admitted or to use emergency services, he or she is often asked if there is a living will in place. Often, the answer is "no," and when asked

For example, Wissow and colleagues (2004) collected gender, age, ethnicity, and levels of clinic/ED use. This information may provide valuable insight into who is most likely to create an advanced directive in response to the intervention. The time frame for the study was not mentioned or how long after the intervention the survey instrument would be presented to intervention participants. This could be relevant because some individuals exposed to

Euthanasia is basically described as the intentional killing of an individual for his/her benefit, and is usually carried out because the person who dies requests for it. While it can also be referred to as physician-assisted suicide, it's known as euthanasia because there are situations where the individual can't ask for it. As one of the major issues in the medical field, there are various laws regarding euthanasia in almost

Euthanasia Debate Euthanasia is the practice of voluntarily ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering (Euthanasia.com/definitions). The act of euthanasia differs from the act of murder in that the person who will die makes the decision to end their life. In the case of murder, the person does not wish to end their life, but anther person intervenes to bring about their death against their wishes. Euthanasia is