NASGANational Association to STOP Guardian Abuse
http://www.stopguardianabuse.org/
http://nasga-stopguardianabuse.blogspot.com/
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
April 16, 2009
For more information contact:
Annie McKenna
NASGA Media Liaison
info@StopGuardianAbuse.org
___________________________________________________________________
National Healthcare Decisions Day
April 16, 2009
Today is a day devoted to truth, reality, protection and intimacy.
The truth is: every one of us will be physically or mentally vulnerable at some point in our lifetime. We don’t want to think about it for ourselves, or even worse, for our cherished parents, grandparents, or even our children.
The reality is: we are all human beings who, despite our best efforts to stay young and/or healthy, will one day have to face the inevitable.
When that happens, we may not be able to speak for ourselves or even make our wishes known; and we could even be totally helpless.
Today, National Healthcare Decisions Day, should remind you of the opportunity to arrange for future protection to avoid the day when that will not be possible.
“Aging With Dignity” (http://www.agingwithdignity.org/) offers “Five Wishes” – an intimate discussion with your family/loved ones, and physician - of your personal, emotional, spiritual and medical needs, stating specifically:
1. Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when
you can't make them;
2. The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want;
3. How comfortable you want to be;
4. How you want people to treat you; and
5. What you want your loved ones to know.
NASGA is a civil rights organization comprised of victims and families working to expose and end unlawful and abusive guardianships/conservatorships. Uncaring or corrupt courts have rendered many of our members powerless to protect their loved ones at their end of life. They have been shut out of medical decisions and medical records; unable to free their loved ones from forced incarceration in nursing homes and forced chemical restraints. And they have been fighting tirelessly for their loved ones’ rights and liberties, most often to no avail.
While our members know firsthand that executed advance directives are often disregarded in favor of unlawful and abusive guardianship/conservatorships, nonetheless, it is for that very reason we attempt to educate people that they must take every preventive measure to protect themselves for the future. We must do this for ourselves and our family members.
NASGA wholeheartedly endorses “Five Wishes” on this important day, and we hope people of all generations will honor their family and caregivers with an intimate discussion of their own “Five Wishes.”
For more information on unlawful and abusive guardianships/conservatorships, visit NASGA’s website at http://www.stopguardianabuse.org/ and the NASGA blog at http://nasga-stopguardianabuse.blogspot.com/
See also:
National Healthcare Decisions Day
12 comments:
Great idea, thank you!
My family bought a package of Five Wishes several years ago. It is written in very simple terms - nonlegal, real human language - making a difficult job much easier.
This sounds like a good thing.
The more a person does to set their wishes down in writing, the harder it will be for the courts to ignore them.
Thank you for this lead.
This press release is correct, we don't want to face our mortality and so we put off these important decisions.
It's good to have a day of reminder.
I hope many people will take advantage of Five Wishes.
Notice:
I strongly suggest videotaping all events related to singing documents if needed in the future.
This is a good way for people to discuss sensitive issues with family members while they are able to do so.
Five Wishes has a positive goal, more important than most people could begin to understand.
It is time for people to have a means to take control of their own lives.
Remember, photograph and/or tape a video of the entire event.
Well done, Annie!
Video taping is a very good idea. And, when people do a PoA, they should also make their lawyer promise to come to court and shout should anyone try to roll over the PoA.
The lawyer could be on the video saying something to that effect.
Five Wishes looks like a great way to open an important discussion with family.
And if that same discussion continues with our doctors, all the better!
Thank you NASGA for paying attention to this day and giving us a reminder, as well as Five Wishes.
NASGA's endorsement of Five Wishes makes it all the more attractive.
We need to have these frank discussions and make our wishes loud and clear -- so everyone knows with no question what we want and don't want.
This is what people need a good plan. I never thought about videoing people signing papers good ideas found here thanks
Videotaping advance directives is a great idea!
Thanks NASGA.
I will look at Aging With Dignity too.
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