Health Care Wishes Can Be Kept On Smartphone Application

Yes, there’s an app for that.

Photo Credit: www.flickr.com“While most all Americans think it’s a good idea to talk with their loved ones about end-of-life care, less than 30 percent have actually done it,” according to a recent posting on the website of the American Bar Association.

The organization has come up with a free solution to this dilemma in the form of an application that works on both Android and Apple smartphones. It’s called My Health Care Wishes Lite and it “gives individuals the ability to store and share important health care wishes,” the website states.

“In an emergency, you’ll have immediate access to a PDF version of your advance directive. An important document like this doesn’t belong tucked away in a safety deposit box or in a file cabinet somewhere. Import and store it on your smartphone so that it’s there for medical decision-making anytime, anywhere.

“Your information is protected because the data resides only on your smartphone, not on any server or cloud service.”

“Most of us haven’t given much thought to health consent and other related matters surrounding medical complications, life support or end of life,” according to the page for the app on Google Play. “But seeing the service provided by this app the added value and purpose is clear: this is certainly something anyone 18-plus could use for peace of mind. In the future, health care professionals will look first on your smartphone for the easily recognizable My Health Care Wishes icon instead of searching for a wallet card.”

There is a “pro” version of the application, which sells for $3.99 and offers more functions.

“It also allows you to create a digital library containing your advance care plan and those of your spouse, parents, children, and anyone you care for,” according to the ABS. “Your loved ones may be away at college, in a retirement community or nursing home, working in a different city, or under the same roof. Imagine having your wishes and those belonging to your loved ones stored in one place, just a click away. You can carry their health care wishes on your smartphone and they can carry your wishes on theirs.”