Resources: End-of-Life Planning
Your end-of-life planning should not be left ’til the end of your life. “Getting your affairs in order”, even if you live for many more years, will be one of the greatest gifts you can leave your loved ones… and it will give you peace of mind, knowing that it’s all spelled out.
Where do you start, if you haven’t already? What’s missing in your existing paperwork. When did you last revisit your plans? Need some guidance and help?
(Be aware that some regulations vary from state-to-state, so it’s wise to check on laws specific to your state.)
If the doctor says, “you’d better get your affairs in order”, it’s not the doctor that will help you with that. Who will assist you with that daunting task?
End of Life Washington (EOLWA)
For those of us living in Washington State, End of Life Washington has compiled and provided a tremendous collection of documents, presentations, videos and other resources pertaining to all topics around death and dying.
Vision Statement: “We envision a world where people understand their end-of-life choices and can die on their own terms, without barriers.”
Mission: “End of Life Washington upholds your right to the full range of end-of-life choices, including Death with Dignity, through advocacy, education, and support.”
Be “End of Life Ready”: Check out their free presentations, lists of links and documents available for download.
https://endoflifewa.org/about/what-we-do/our-presentations/
End of Life Ready Checklist and Resources:
Click HERE
Tools for Planning:
https://endoflifewa.org/tools-for-planning/
Important Steps to Protect Your End of Life Choice:
https://endoflifewa.org/important-steps-to-protect-your-end-of-life-choice/
Advance Directives and Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
From the Washington State Medical Association
POLST – Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
From the Washington State Medical Association
This is the bright green form seen posted on a person’s refrigerator for immediate access by EMTs, often referred to as a “DNR Form” (do not resuscitate).
The decisions documented on the POLST form include whether to:
- Attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Administer antibiotics and IV fluids.
- Use a ventilator to help with breathing.
- Provide artificial nutrition by tube.
Five Wishes
The nation’s only national advance care planning program.
The original user-friendly advance directive used by more than 40 million people. An easy-to-use legal document written in easy to understand terms. Available in 30 languages.
Prepare for Your Care to Ensure Your End-of-Life Treatment Wishes
The Most Important Conversation to Have Before You Die
By Dana G. Smith, NYT. Nov. 27, 2024
Talking about your advance care directive with your loved ones will make life — and death — easier later on.
UW (University of Washington) Willed Body Program
The University of Washington’s Willed Body Program is a whole-body donation program for donors from Washington State. The gift of your body to the UW School of Medicine is an invaluable contribution to the education of future healthcare providers, enabling them to study and understand the complexity of the human body in a way that is not possible by any other means.
In addition to helping students in the health professions master complex anatomy, your donation will allow medical researchers to develop and maximize important tools to help patients. The University of Washington is one of the foremost medical research institutions in the world, conducting studies that will not only further develop the body of knowledge within the field of medicine, but eventually alleviate human suffering.
https://www.uwmedicine.org/school-of-medicine/about/willed-body-program
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