PLEASE USE THIS RSVP FORM to let us know who is coming and help us plan for materials and light refreshments

Purpose of Health Care Surrogate Support Seminar

• Help you be the best possible healthcare surrogate (agent or DPOA) for family or friends
• Understand the role, improve abilities and skills needed to serve effectively, and recognize challenges involved
• Learn how to have in-depth guided conversation with family member or friend to better understand their choices and preferences.
• Learn how to respectfully present the preferences of the person you represent while accepting their values even if different than yours
• Hear recommendations for how you can increase chances of giving good-quality care

Presenter

Richard Stuart is a psychologist with years of experience in advance care planning. He is Clinical Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington and psychologist on the medical staff of Swedish/Edmonds Hospital. He has had an extensive clinical, research, and writing career that includes creation of the Conditional Medical Order for summarizing patients' critical care preferences.

Who Should Attend

• Anyone who has agreed to serve as a health care agent (surrogate decision maker, health care proxy, or attorney-in-fact for health care decisions) for a family member or friend
• Anyone who has signed a DP0A and has a surrogate
• Anyone who needs a heath care agent

Who Should Attend With You?

If possible, plan on attending with the person for whom you will be the trusted medical surrogate for medical decisions, with a DPOA (Durable Power Of Attorney for Health Care). As a surrogate and health care agent you will represent their wishes if they are unable to do so for themselves and it is essential that you know what they want and how to advocate on their behalf. While not required, attending with your family member or friend will increase the likelihood that their preferences will be heard when they matter most.

If you don’t have a surrogate, we might be able to help you find one at the workshop.

Bring Documents—and bring a pen, because this is a working session

Bring all advance care directive forms already completed, whether up to date or not. Documents need to be reviewed every five years and updated when there is a new diagnosis, or values and expectations change. This is a chance to review and possibly better understand your family member’s or friend’s preferences.