Hillcrest Retirement Community – End of Life Options 2-15

February 15, 2024 at 2 pm  Live Presentation.  Private for Residents of Hillcrest Retirement Community

Residents of Hillcrest retirement Community are invited to join End of Life Choices California (EOLCCA) Founding Director Lynne Calkins, and Client Volunteer Thom Bettinger who will highlight services provided by this organization whose goal is to help ensure that people are able to receive the information and support they need to advocate for and experience the death they wish.

The presentation will cover such topics as:

• Advance care planning – Advance care planning is a process that enables individuals to make plans about their future health care. Advance care planning is applicable to adults at all stages of life. Participation in advance care planning has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety for patients and their families, and lead to improvements in end of life care.
• Updates to the California End of Life Option Act – as of January 1, 2022:
  • The new bill reduces the waiting period between the required two oral requests to 48 hours. 
  • Healthcare systems and hospices now have to post their aid-in-dying policies on their websites.
  • The final attestation form is no longer needed.  
  • The amendment also clarifies that MAID medication can be taken within a healthcare facility.
• Eligibility Requirements for MAID – Must be 18 years or older; Must be of sound mind and exhibit appropriate decision-making capabilities to the attending physician; Must be able to self-ingest the medication either orally or by pushing through an NG tube; and Must be diagnosed with a terminal disease, with a life expectancy of six months or less, by two physicians.

For more information contact: Lynne Calkins, LCalkins@endoflifechoicesca.org

End of Life Choices California’s mission is to provide Californians the information and support to successfully navigate their legal end-of-life options.  Relevant topics include Advance Care Planning; the California End of Life Option Act (EOLA); eligibility requirements for Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD); and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED)–a legal option in all 50 states. Our volunteers are very knowledgeable about both hospice and palliative care and can explain the differences between the two services.

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