Advanced Care Directives
Why complete your Advanced Care Directives?
It allows you to enjoy your days knowing you have made and shared your end of life decisions whether you have days or years left. An advanced care directive is a legal document that outlines your healthcare preferences in case you become unable to communicate your wishes. It allows you to convey decisions about medical care ahead of time, ensuring that your values and choices are respected. The two most common types of advance directives are the living will, which specifies the types of medical treatment you want or do not want, and the durable power of attorney for health care, which designates someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Thinking about, much less discussing our end of life choices, preferences and final disposition are not everyday topics for the most people. These are conversations that can be difficult - many avoid these topics out of fear of ‘speaking of it will make it happen’
Having open conversations helps us explore thebeliefs and fears of our loved ones, as well as our our own. Talking with the important people in our livescan bring us closer together. It also helps us create the foundation of a care plan that’s right for us - a plan that will be available when the need arises.
Death Cafe
Death Café on Vashon every 1st and 3rd Fridays to Tree of Life from 630-730 PM.
At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. Our objective is to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes.It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. Death Cafes are open to, andrespectful of, people of all communities and belief systems. The basic ground rules for a Death Café are listening when people are talking, respect for others views and confidentiality. Donations welcome.
Questions call:
Joe Allison 206 919-1275
Death Doula
Death Doula:
A death doula, first and foremost, is a ‘placeholder’ in the community, representing the presence of death in community life. A community resource for individuals, families and professionals in these fields.
One who “shows up for death”
Reverend Bodhi Be
Death doulas help people navigate death by assisting a dying person and their loved ones before, during and after death with emotional and physical support, education about the dying process, preparation for what’s to come and guidance for the grieving. A death doula is a non-medical professional who is considered a mentor, a guide or an advocate for the dying person’s wishes. Each death doula’s services are tailored to the specific needs of each patient and family. A death doula makes sure the threads are connected between the dying person and the important people in their lives, including their hospice team, spiritual team and medical team. They aim to help families recognize death as a natural and important part of life and to empower the dying person to take control of their own dying process. Death doulas help to normalize whatever arises. Our primary gift is our ability to be a grounding and supportive presence for individuals and their families during a deeply intense, painful, and emotional time. Death doulas may use tools such as: life reviews, legacy letters, open conversations about what feels hard, planning for the active dying time and after death time including home wakes and funerals, incorporating rituals, reprocessing the death some weeks after it occurs. We are stepping into this role for Vashon. Our services are a gift to our community with offerings heartfully accepted.
Susan Pitiger 206 818-4232
Brad Davis 296 799-7235