Do your loved ones know your wishes if you are unable to make decisions concerning your health care?

Memorial Hospital is committed to respecting the rights and wishes of our patients and their family members. In order to provide quality patient care in an environment that recognizes the rights and wishes of the patient and their families, we have adopted the Five Wishes program.

What is Five Wishes?

Five wishes is a living will that takes into account your personal, spiritual and medical wishes. It will help you decide: (1) who you want to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself;(2) what kind of medical treatment you would or would not like to receive; (3) how comfortable you would want to be kept; (4) how you would like people to treat you; (5) what you would like your family and loved ones to know.

How Five Wishes Began

For 12 years, a man named Jim Towey worked closely with Mother Teresa, and, for one year, he lived in a hospice she ran in Washington, D.C. Inspired by this first-hand experience, Mr. Towey sought a way for patients and their families to plan ahead and to cope with serious illness. The result is Five Wishes, and the response to it has been overwhelming. Newspapers have called Five Wishes the first "living will with a heart." It has been featured on CNN, NBC's Today Show and in Time and Money magazines.

Who Should Use Five Wishes

Five Wishes is for anyone 18 years of age or older, married, single, parents, adult children and friends.

If you live in Pennsylvania or one of the states listed below, you can use Five Wishes and have peace of mind to know that it substantially meets your state's requirements under the law. If your state is not listed here, Five Wishes does not meet the technical requirements in the statutes of your state.

Learn More About Five Wishes Campaign