1. A Living Will Fills the Bill And It Is Good for You
Bacon Please!
A Living Will Fills the Bill
And It Is Good for You

2. A Positive Thought
“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”

3. Not everything that is good for you is as good as bacon!
but the truth is…
Not everything that is good for you is as good as bacon!
In fact, too much bacon can be bad for you!
When facing decisions, the easiest thing to do is nothing
More often than not, the worst thing you can do is nothing

4. What is a Living Will and Why Is It Good for You?
- A living will is an advanced health care directive
-May be called, personal directive, medical directive or advanced decision.
-It is a legal document specifying what action should be taken in health decisions when the patient is no longer able to make decisions for themselves

5. Because of the increasing sophistication in medical technology
Why have a living will?
Because of the increasing sophistication in medical technology
Documented studies highlight deficits in the medical care of the dying
Unnecessarily prolonged, painful, expensive, and emotionally burdensome treatments continue
The process of dying is emotionally burdensome to both patients and families

6. A living will is the oldest form of an advance directive (1969)
Background
A living will is the oldest form of an advance directive (1969)
The purpose is to allow a person to control their health decisions even when they no longer able to make current decisions
The patient self-determination act “PSDA” went into effect in December 1991
The PSDA requires all healthcare providers to give patients information about their rights to make advance directives

7. Issues and Implementation
To limited in scope
Did not address problems and needs sufficiently
Unclear
Not applicable in every situation
Requires interpretation
A second-generation directive created

8. The Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Power of attorney statutes allowed for naming someone to act on your behalf
New document was created to appoint PA to have the same rights to request or refuse treatment that the individual would have were they capable
Without conversations about patients wishes, guesswork continued

9. Linking patients values with medical treatment
Third-generation
A move from specific treatments and procedures to focus on patient values and goals
Linking patients values with medical treatment
Evidence that values regarding financial and psychological burden are motivators not to want a broader array of end-of-life therapies

10. This document meets the statutory requirements In 42 states
Five Wishes
Five wishes is the most widely known third-generation advanced directive
This document meets the statutory requirements In 42 states
Offered by nonprofit called Aging with Dignity
NetLaw documents are specifically designed for each state

11. This Is Where You Come In
Experts believe both a living will and a durable power of attorney for healthcare should be completed at the same time
Your state law and state approved documents are important. MOST. PLOST
To review the documents and be comfortable with the conversation

12. Can a Living Will Help?
Medical intervention leaves 2 million Americans committed to nursing homes
1.4 million are so medically frail they survive only through the use of feeding tubes
As many as 30,000 Americans are kept alive in a comatose and permanently vegetative state
Cost burdens to individuals and families are considerable. A national study found that: “In 20% of cases, a family member had to quit work;” 31% lost “all or most savings” (even though 96% had insurance); and “20% reported loss of [their] major source of income.”

13. But…
Studies indicate that 70-95% of people would rather refuse aggressive medical treatment than have their lives medically prolonged in incompetent or another poor prognosis state.

14. DNR
Just what is a DNR?
- It sounds scary, it implies life saving medical procedures will be withheld- It is not in order to stop treatment to keep you alive
-It does mean when your heart stops that you do not wish to receive CPR or ventilator care
Do all you can to keep me alive, but when dead, then let me go- Steven Keernan

15. The privilege of being an advisor
Clients become your friends
Your device can be critical to the success of the family you advise
Continuing education is part of your role
Clients rely on your wisdom
You become a family friend
Your business grows as you learn more and more about the needs of the family

16. An important stated value Implies financial wellness
No family left behind
An important stated value
Implies financial wellness
It also means medical preparedness
It means moving from uninformed to informed
It means moving from not making decisions to deciding what is right and following through
It means helping families where they need help the most

17. NetLaw is Your Companion
Problem solver
Relationship builder
Valuable insight
Foundational transaction
Business builder
Continuing education
sales focused
Doing our best to serve you and your clients

18. Next week
The Must Trust or why have a family trust?

19. We are here to help-- 1-888-604-4789 See you next week!!!!
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or Jennifer
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See you next week!!!!