ONLINE COURSES

Advocacy for Elderly Patients
Understanding basic rights of patients and how such rights apply to the elderly will help you become an advocate for not only elderly patients, but for other family members and friends. In this course, you'll learn what an advocate is, what one does, and why it's important to be an advocate for patient care today.

Certificate in End of Life Care
The Certificate in End-of-Life Issues represents a specialization in the field of caring for those who are experiencing a terminal illness. It is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals who work with dying patients by providing a multidisciplinary educational experience.

End of Life Care
When it comes to end of life care there are many issues that the patient and family members will go through emotionally, physically, and spiritually. At the very moment a patient is diagnosed with a serious illness, everyone is left with questions, concerns, sadness, and more. While this is a very difficult time, it is going to be very important that the patient and family members plan and prepare for what lies ahead.

Helping Elderly Parents
Are your parents in their golden years? Learning how to help parents or other loved ones through their transition can prepare you for your own. This compassionate and comprehensive class will give you the tools, techniques, and insights for this passage.

Write Your Life Story
Have you thought about writing your story, sharing life-altering events? Does your family really know about their heritage? If you've ever thought about writing your life story, now is the time!

Estate Planning
Anyone who has assets, no matter how small or wants their medical wishes carried out should have an estate plan.

Aging and Long Term Care
This course describes the aging process, risks to senior's health, and how to stay healthy no matter if you are 65 or 105.

WEBSITES

General Interest

Death Cafe
The Death Cafe objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'. A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.

International End of Life Doula Association
A nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the end of life doula approach pioneered in 2003 by Henry Fersko-Weiss

End-of-Life Care

Compassion & Choices
Not aimed at curing illness, end-of-life options focus on comfort, dignity and quality of life.

Conversation Starter Kit
A packet for patients to complete with family. The goals are to identify treatment goals, decide when and how to elect or discontinue care, and identify what’s most important to the patient.

Five Wishes
A packet for patients to identify the desired level of care in five key areas, including naming decision makers, the kind of treatment desired or not desired, the level of comfort desired, how the patient wishes to be treated, and important information for loved ones to know.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
NHPCO enhances and expands access to care that addresses holistic health and the well-being of communities.

Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
A document that should be completed whenever a chronic or terminal prognosis is given. Make sure to keep a copy for family, because it's important a patient and family know how/when to advocate for the POLST’s completion or revision.

Funeral Planning

8 Tips for Funeral Planning
From AARP

Know your rights as a consumer
The FTC Funeral Rule

Organ Donation
Register to be an organ donor.

Green Burial Council
Learn more about green burial and how to find certified cemetery stewards, funeral professionals, and funerary product sellers who share the commitment to create more sustainable after-death options for you.

National Home Funeral Alliance
Learn more about funerals at home.

Grief

Bereavement and Grief
From Mental Health America

The Center for Complicated Grief
From Columbia University

Helping Your Child Deal With Death
From KidsHealth.org

Healing after a loved one’s suicide
From the Mayo Clinic

Trauma and Disaster Mental Health
From the American Counseling Association

Grief Interventions for Children with ADHD
From Baylor University

STATE RESOURCES

VIRGINIA

NOLO Guide to Estate Planning in Virginia
Nolo Network is one of the web's largest libraries of consumer-friendly legal information – all available for free.

VA State Bar Referral Service
Get referred to a local lawyer that can help your type of legal issue.

A Guide to the Administration of Decedents’ Estates in Virginia
A PDF manual intended to assist person who are involved in the administration of a decedent's estate in Virginia. Covers topics like reading the will, notifying the beneficiaries, rights of spouse and children, paying debts, paying taxes and more.

Do Not Resuscitate / Do Not Intubate (DNR / DNI)
Virginia Department of Health - Documents that should be completed by anyone who feels strongly about the level of care they should be given order in the event of life-threatening conditions. These documents should be initiated by medical staff, so ask your doctor.

Virginia State Anatomical Program
Body Donation in Virginia

Virginia Association of Hospices and Palliative Care
Includes search tools for local hospice facilities.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

NOLO Guide to Estate Planning in D.C.
Nolo Network is one of the web's largest libraries of consumer-friendly legal information – all available for free.

D.C. Bar Association
The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center offers neighborhood brief advice and referral clinics and resource centers at the D.C. Superior Court that may help you as you navigate your legal issues.

DC Will and Estate Planning
From the Department of Aging and Community Living.

DC DNR
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Comfort Care Order-Do Not Resuscitate (CCO-DNR) program allows patients diagnosed with a specific medical or terminal condition to express their wishes regarding end of life resuscitation in the pre or post-hospital setting.

DC Death with Dignity
The District of Columbia Death with Dignity Act of 2016, D.C. Law 21-182, was effective on February 18, 2017 and applicable as of June 6, 2017. This act allows terminally ill adults seeking to voluntarily end their life, to request lethal doses of medication from licensed physicians in the District (MD/DO). Terminally ill patients must be District of Columbia residents who have been medically confirmed to have less than six months to live.

Death Positive D.C.
Death Positive DC promotes conversations about death and connects people around this topic through social media and in-person events in the DC-area

DC Hospice-End of Life Care
From the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living

MARYLAND

NOLO Guide to Estate Planning in Maryland
Nolo Network is one of the web's largest libraries of consumer-friendly legal information – all available for free.

Maryland State Bar Association
Local bar associations across Maryland can help you find a lawyer in your area.

Maryland MOLST
Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. This order form makes your treatment wishes known to health care professionals.

Anatomical Board of Maryland
Body Donation in Maryland

Maryland Health Care Commission Guide to Hospice
Includes search tools for local hospice facilities.