Wishes

Imagine having to make a decision on behalf of someone else and not being sure as to what the individual may have wanted. End of life as well as death often leaves us with a lot of questions. This activity is designed to allow you to think about what your wishes are in terms of death and dying and set some goals for yourself. Some students find this assignment very emotional but you are encouraged to work through the process and explore who you are and what you want for yourself. This project is meant to assist your family during a time of high grief. The information presented should serve as a guide to love ones as to what you would like in the event you are unable to express yourself. Even if you have discussed your wishes it is also a good idea to write them out. We can not account for every single situation however; we can give other’s a general idea of what our thoughts are in terms of life and death and this can serve as a guide in the event important decisions have to be made in a time of high grief.

Select either option A or B

OPTION A

Personal Wishes Project

(Worth 50 points)

Objective: This activity is designed to allow you to think about what your wishes are and set some goals for yourself. You will need to consider what life and death means to you and what your wishes are in terms of life and death.

Please submit this project as one file (one word document).

1. The project must have a cover page

2. The project must contain a table of contents with unique titles for each wish and page numbers. The title of each wish should reflect the contents of each wish. Do not title the wishes assignment 1, assignment 2 etc

3. The wishes may be placed in the order you feel is most important for your love one to read

4. Page headings are essential and should be in APA format

5. Each wish should be at least one full page in length. Font type should be Times New Roman (size 12)

6. The wishes should be based on your current life (NOT the future).

7. When writing your wishes remember that these are guidelines for your loved ones to be aware off. It is important to address every aspect that pertains to you.

For this project students are expected to complete each of the following five wishes and turn them in on time using the assignment tool. Be sure you have a cover page, page heading (with numbers) and a table of contents (with page numbers) when you submit this assignment. I encourage you to personalize this project hence, you should name each wish. You will need to be creative when titling each wish. The name/title for each wish should not be titles already listed or assignment 1, assignment 2 etc. Please use original titles — titles that reflect the contents of your wish. In addition, you should organize this project in the order you would like your love ones to read it.

Wish for Final Disposition (Worth 9 points) Students are expected to plan a funeral for themselves. Make sure you clearly express what your wishes are. The items you include will vary in accordance to the funeral option selected. When you plan this funeral really think about everything you need to consider. For example, do you want to be buried or cremated? Which State do you want to be buried in? Whom do you want to coordinate everything? Do you want flowers, pictures, videos, a lot of friends, donations to a special charity, crying, celebration? Is there a specific day you do or do not want the service to take place? Approximately how much should be spent on your funeral? Do you want tan expensive casket or urn? Is there a specific church or cemetery you are comfortable with? Do you want a wake at your home? You should also keep in mind that you do not know exactly when these plans may become effective hence, it is not a good idea to include dates or use the past tense.

Accomplishments and Future Goals (Worth 9 points)Write your eulogy commemorating your life. What do you want people to remember about you? What difference have you made? In addition, you are expected to reflect upon everything you have done in the present and what you plan to do in the future. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? Please keep in mind that you are not dead and you do not know when you will die hence, you can not write an actual eulogy however; you can identify your major accomplishments as well as your present and future goals as part of this assignment.

The Voice When there is No Voice (Worth 9 points)Write a letter that reiterates and clarifies what has been said in conversations about what your wishes would be if you were to become incapacitated and could not make any medical decisions for yourself. Whom do you want to make treatment decisions? Do you want anyone to be with you during this time? How far do you want your course of treatment to go? Under what conditions would you like to be taken off life support? Essentially, you are expected to write your advance directive. If you become incapacitated and could not make medical decisions for yourself whom do you want to make these decisions on your behalf? Do you want someone with you all the time or do you want to be left alone? Is there a specific hospital you do or do not want to receive treatment from? What about a specific Doctor? It is impossible to address every possible medical situation however, you should try to express your overall wish in the event you become incapacitated and could not express yourself.

Letting go of Belongings (Worth 9 points)Write your will. How is your personal property (e.g. books, ring or diary) to be handled? Who will take care of your pet (s)? What do you want done with your children, home, clothing or vehicle? This is a very important part of your project because many families have a difficult time deciding what to do with their loved ones belongings. You do not have to provide a complete will that entails your finances however; you are expected to show how you would like your property distributed.

Things left unsaid (Worth 9 points)Reflect on your life and the aspects of your life that have brought you the most joy. What would like to say to the people you love about the life you have had so far and in conclusion what is your attitude towards death? For this assignment you should write individual letters to the people you care about but you do not have to submit the letters. You do however have to submit your life reflection.

The remaining 5 points covers the cover page, table of contents and page headings. All pages must be numbered and the title of the project should be part of the page heading. In addition, your work must be submitted as one file

This project is graded based upon how much thought is placed into each wish. Each wish should be at least one full page in length (double spaced). You are encourage to fully express your wishes when completing this project. If your wish is vague points will be deducted