(Janis Landis’ professional career was spent at the Internal Revenue Service. Upon retirement, she turned her attention to the only topic less popular than taxes: death. Janis served as President of Final Exit Network from 2015 until June 2019 and continues to serve on the Board of Directors.)
===================================
Here’s a scenario that occurs every day in this country:
A person has a car accident while on vacation. They are rushed to the hospital. The spouse knows there is an Advance Directive and Surrogate Designation form. But who packs the forms when going on vacation?
If you’ve signed up for our free member benefit, enrollment in the U.S. Advance Care Plan Registry, the documents are just a phone call, email, or fax away. And medical personnel can look it up directly, with just basic information, if you are alone and incapacitated.
Included in your FEN membership is free access to all the benefits of the Advance Care Plan Registry (ACPR, formerly known as the Living Will Registry).
FEN directly pays ACPR a fee each year to cover all our members. Obviously, we must think this benefit is pretty important. And it is: because the most painstakingly crafted Advance Directive (AD), and the most thoughtfully selected surrogate, are of no use if your documents aren’t available in a medical emergency.
Perhaps you are confident that you have copies of your forms handy and don’t need the “bells and whistles.” But what happens if you decide to update your AD or your surrogate? Will you remember to send it to your doctors, lawyer, surrogate, etc.? How will individuals be sure they have the latest copy?
With the registry, you can complete or update the correct state forms and have them readily accessible to all who may need them.
And most importantly, the copies will be available when you need them most and are least likely to have them: in sudden emergencies.
I recently spoke to Katie Urban, a client manager at ACPR. She described the many different situations that ACPR responds to daily.
One individual had a heart attack while traveling in India. A quick check on-line retrieved all the necessary documents.
Another individual, only 30 years old, was driving in an unfamiliar rural area when he suddenly experienced chest pains. He was able to find a local clinic. Immediately, the staff was able to reach his AD, know what type of treatment he wanted, and who the surrogate was.
April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions day. Make the decision to get your documents registered before then so you can make your summer plans with peace of mind. Get your friends and family to register too. (Of course, with a FEN membership, they’ll get free registry access.)
And hey, there’s an app for it too!
(Please scroll down to comment.)
Final Exit Network (FEN) is a network of dedicated professionals and caring, trained volunteers who support mentally competent adults as they navigate their end-of-life journey. Established in 2004, FEN seeks to educate qualified individuals in practical, peaceful ways to end their lives, offer a compassionate bedside presence and defend a person’s right to choose. For more information, go to www.finalexitnetwork.org.
Payments and donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Final Exit Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Enter your email address to receive these posts in your inbox each week:
