Forbes: As the world watches, former South African President Nelson Mandela, 94, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Amid conflicting reports and limited information from relatives and officials, many observers believe he is on life-support equipment …
Whatever legal form it eventually takes, no one should create an end-of-life document without a frank and open conversation about a topic most of us are inclined to avoid as long as possible. To that end, The Conversation Project, founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman, provides families with tools, including a downloadable kit that walks them through key questions from how much they want to know about their condition as they decline to how aggressively they want doctors to treat them and how much latitude they wish to give those making decisions on their behalf.