In our recent Estate Planning Basics session at UUC on January 20, we were advised by estate planning attorney Jamie Clausen that our personal estate plans should include three key documents: 1) Will; 2) Durable Power of Attorney for Finances; and 3) Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. You can arrange for these documents on your own, and/or in collaboration with an attorney. You may find it helpful to know that our UU friends at Shoreline Unitarian are scheduling a session in March to guide individuals in completing their own Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. Below are the details for that meeting.

Presenter: Richard Stuart is a Ph.D. psychologist with years of experience in advance care planning. He is Clinical Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry at UW and a 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.

Location:  Shoreline UU Church, 14724 1st Ave NE, Shoreline WA, 98155

RSVP Required:  email uu12thoughtfulending@gmail.com so we will have paperwork for all attendees. Please bring a pen as you will be creating documents. Also, please be kind enough to wear a mask to protect yourself and your neighbors. Many thanks

Purpose of Advance Care Planning Seminar:  To consider, then complete, sign, and have witnessed, the 5 important documents relating to your wishes for critical care medical interventions. Also, to hear some recommendations for how you can increase your chances of getting good-quality care that may help you delay the need to make critical care decisions. 

Who Should Attend:  Anyone who will someday “shuffle off this mortal coil.”

Who Should Attend With You?:  If possible, plan on attending “2 x 2” with someone who will be your trusted medical surrogate for medical decisions (DPOA). A surrogate will represent your wishes if you are unable to do so for yourself  and it is essential that your surrogate know what you want and how to advocate on your behalf. While not required, attending with your surrogate will increase the likelihood that your 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

What If I Already Have Such Documents:  Many advance care directive forms, e.g. the POLST, are inadequate and should be replaced. But even if you have the latest version, documents need to be reviewed every 5 years and updated when you have a new diagnosis or when your values and expectations change. This is also a chance for your surrogate to review and possibly better understand your preferences.