AgeWays (formerly AAA 1-B)

Area Agency on Aging of Northwest MI

Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan

Area Agency on Aging Region 3A

Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging

CareWell Services Southwest

Detroit Area Agency on Aging

Region 9 Area Agency on Aging Northeast MI Community Services Agency, Inc.

Region IV Area Agency on Aging

Region VII Area Agency on Aging

Senior Resources of West Michigan

The Senior Alliance, Inc.

Tri-County Office on Aging

U.P. Area Agency on Aging/UPCAP Services, Inc.

Valley Area Agency on Aging

WellWise Services

St. Croix Hospice is a Midwest-based hospice provider that delivers comfort-focused, end-of-life care to patients and their families across ten states, including Michigan. Its mission centers on preserving dignity and quality of life when a cure is no longer the goal, bringing a coordinated care team directly to wherever a patient calls home &mdash; a private residence, an assisted living community, or a skilled nursing facility.Care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, hospice aides, social workers, chaplains, and trained volunteers who manage pain and symptoms, coordinate medications and equipment, and support the whole family. Beyond standard hospice services, St. Croix Hospice offers specialized programs for common late-life needs, including the North Star Dementia Program, a Heart Failure Program, wound care, falls prevention, and the Voyage Vigil Program for the final days of life. Bereavement support continues for the family for up to 13 months after a loved one passes.For Michigan caregivers, this resource matters because hospice can ease an exhausting and isolating stretch of the caregiving journey. The team is reachable 24 hours a day at 855-278-2764, and admissions &mdash; including weekend admissions through the BridgeCare program &mdash; can begin quickly once a physician confirms eligibility (generally a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its expected course). Families do not have to navigate the final chapter alone; hospice brings clinical expertise, emotional support, and practical guidance into the home so caregivers can focus on being present with the person they love.

St. Croix Hospice

With a focus on comfort and quality of life, our hospice teams across the Midwest provide compassionate care with dignity and respect. Connect with an expert to learn how our award-winning team can support you—wherever you call home.

Michigan Legal Help is a free statewide website that gives Michigan residents the information, forms, and tools they need to handle common legal problems on their own. For caregivers and families facing end-of-life issues, it is an especially valuable starting point, with plain-language guidance on wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, end-of-life planning, and what happens to property after someone dies.The site organizes more than fifteen legal topics &mdash; from estate planning and disability planning to housing, family law, and public benefits &mdash; into a searchable resource library of articles, step-by-step instructions, and court-ready forms. Its signature “Guide to Legal Help” tool asks a few questions about your situation and income, then points you to the resources, do-it-yourself forms, self-help centers, or lawyer referrals that fit your circumstances.This resource matters because legal tasks often surface at the hardest moments &mdash; when a loved one is declining, has lost capacity, or has died &mdash; and hiring an attorney is not always affordable or necessary. Michigan Legal Help empowers caregivers to put essential documents in place before a crisis and to settle affairs afterward with confidence. Self-Help Centers located in courthouses throughout Michigan offer in-person assistance for those who want a hand completing forms. The site is free and open to anyone with a Michigan legal issue, though it is careful to note that it provides legal information, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for a lawyer when one is truly needed.

Michigan Legal Help

Guidance on important topics, from end-of-life planning to legal advice.

This American Medical Association article explains the ethical principles that shape end-of-life care and what every patient &mdash; and every caregiver speaking on a patient's behalf &mdash; should understand about their rights. It is a clear, authoritative primer on advance care planning, patient autonomy, and the difficult treatment decisions that families often face without preparation.A central message is that very few of the millions of Americans who die each year have documented their end-of-life wishes, leaving loved ones and clinicians to guess at the most consequential moments. The AMA's Code of Medical Ethics affirms that patients have a fundamental right to make decisions about their own care, to change those decisions as circumstances evolve, and to request that life-sustaining treatments be withheld or withdrawn, including establishing do-not-resuscitate orders. These are recognized, lawful choices &mdash; not requests patients should feel reluctant to raise.The article also stresses that good end-of-life care is holistic: it pairs clinical skill with social, psychological, and spiritual support built around what matters most to the individual and their family. It names a common communication gap in which patients, families, and clinicians each wait for someone else to start the conversation, and it points to practical tools, such as the Stanford Letter Project, that help people put their values into words.For caregivers, this resource is a confidence builder. It clarifies what you can ask for, encourages you to start the conversation early, and underscores the importance of documenting wishes before a critical illness makes those discussions urgent.

Medical ethics and end of life: What every patient should know

To get more of those end-of-life care discussions going and make them as effective as possible, the AMA has developed training materials and ethical guidelines that together provide deep and actionable understanding into what patients want and physicians are able to provide.

This resource hub from Hospice of Michigan, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, gathers practical tools and support for patients facing serious illness and the family caregivers who walk beside them. It is designed to answer the questions families struggle with most &mdash; what hospice and palliative care actually are, when it is time to reach out, and how to manage pain and emotions along the way.The page offers educational materials including a hospice-versus-palliative-care comparison, a “when it's time to call hospice” checklist of ten diagnostic questions, a pain management scale, and downloadable advance directive forms. On the support side, families can reach a 24/7 caregiver support center at 888-247-5701, join the Grief Journey Program and its support groups, and connect with clinical social workers, chaplains, and trained volunteer visitors. The NorthStar Linc app gives patients and families convenient access to their care information.Hospice of Michigan serves people with life-limiting illnesses, their families and caregivers, and healthcare professionals, with care lines spanning hospice (for a prognosis of about six months or less), palliative care for those still pursuing treatment, veteran-focused care, and pediatric services. Importantly, no physician referral is required simply to learn more or schedule an informational visit, which lowers the barrier for caregivers who are exploring options early. Whether a family needs guidance on symptom management, emotional support, or a moment of encouragement, this resource is a welcoming and trustworthy place to start.

Resources for Patients and Caregivers

As partners in care, <a href="https://www.hom.org/resources-for-patients-and-caregivers/">Hospice of Michigan</a> helps families navigate the caregiving experience, providing continuous support, training, and education.

Five Wishes, from the nonprofit Aging with Dignity, is the most widely used advance care planning resource in the United States &mdash; an advance directive written in everyday language that lets people document how they want to be cared for if they become seriously ill and cannot speak for themselves. Unlike many legal forms, it goes beyond medical instructions to address the personal and emotional dimensions of serious illness, making it approachable for families who find traditional paperwork intimidating.The document walks a person through five wishes: (1) the person they want to make care decisions on their behalf, (2) the kind of medical treatment they want or do not want, (3) how comfortable they want to be, (4) how they want to be treated by others, and (5) what they want their loved ones to know. Together these turn a daunting topic into a guided, meaningful conversation.For caregivers, Five Wishes is a powerful tool for honoring a loved one's preferences and reducing the stress of guessing during a crisis. It is legally valid in nearly all fifty states, costs about $5 per copy, and is available in 32 languages plus Braille through the online store at store.fivewishes.org. Aging with Dignity also provides free copies to those in need through its charitable program. Completing Five Wishes early &mdash; and sharing it with family and physicians &mdash; helps ensure that a person's values guide their care all the way through the end of life.

Aging with Dignity - 5 Wishes Program

<a href="https://agingwithdignity.org/five-wishes/">Aging with Dignity’s Five Wishes program</a> is the most popular advance care planning resource in the U.S. AAAs often use this document to structure advance care planning services. Five Wishes is user-friendly, easy to understand, legally valid in all fifty states, and available in 32 languages plus Braille.
An individual copy costs the same as 25 years ago – just $5.

End-of-Life Issues

Aging with Dignity – 5 Wishes Program

Compassionate guidance and support for caregivers navigating end-of-life care.

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