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January at Sunset Circle:
Advance Directives Made Easy(-ish)

Here's what you can find at Sunset Circle in January:
 
Advance Care Planning is important for all of us. Formal Advance Care Planning includes completing health care directives or documentation, selecting health care agents, having conversations with health care providers about goals of care, and talking to your people about your health care wishes if something were to happen to you. Many dread this: it feels grim, dark, depressing, and no one wants to think about the situations in which this planning would actually be helpful. Yet, it is likely that you know of someone who was in a critical situation where they had to make health care decisions for a loved one, sometimes urgently, with only guesses to go on. The responsibility of making difficult and significant choices on behalf of someone without ever having talked about it with them can be hugely burdensome.
 
And that’s just the thing: it feels too soon until it is too late. So let’s do (at least some of) it together.
 
There is no perfect system that universalizes the process of making wishes known, or followed, so we do the best we can. Those in the advance care planning world recommend revisiting health care directives after the 5 Ds: Death of a friend or family member, Divorce, a new Diagnosis, Decline in health, and at every Decade. One or more, or perhaps none, of these Ds may have occurred recently. No matter what has or has not happened, no matter what you have or have not completed, it can be hard to do. 
 
Advance Directives (ADs) vary by state and health care institution, but all have the same basic elements. This month, we will review some of the elements together. Completing an Advance Directive is wildly important. A major part of the process includes talking about your choices with those involved in your life and care. If you cannot join our weekly discussions, I invite you to take action in some way in your own life to locate your AD, transfer it from the rusty file cabinet in the basement to a digital uploaded copy to your healthcare organization, update it, complete it, or talk about it- again- with the people listed on the documents. The documents might be signed and finalized, but in many ways they are only as good as the discussions you have about them. So whether it is accomplished within the container of Wednesday night discussions or not, let’s bring these documents to life.
 
We will finish off the month with a fabulous guest speaker. The articulate and knowledgable Jenny Garmendia of the Trident Society will share all things cremation. She will provide education, tips, and key takeaways for not only those who opt for cremation personally but those will care for others who do.
 
Please bring a copy of your advance care directive with you to discussions if you have it. (If you do not have a stand-alone document, it might be embedded in a living will or trust). If you have not completed any paperwork, you can simply google: “advance directive in [your state]” and print out a copy of an option to work with. Please note: We will be discussing elements of and move towards completion of your advance directive together this month. However, please note I am unable to provide legal or medical advice and will encourage participants to consult with a lawyer or physician when appropriate.