Lavender Seniors of the East Bay

Facing Difficult “End of Life” Decisions

Many of us have watched our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, other family members and friends face difficult “end of life” decisions. Some of them have experienced protracted bouts of illness (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Stroke, Heart, Kidney or Liver Disease); others have had a sudden death while shoveling snow or a peaceful death in their sleep. And there are examples of everything in between. Though we may know intellectually that all of us will pass on one day, none of us knows how or when. Californians approaching the end of life – no matter how old they are – now have some options to consider.

In 2016, California followed the lead of its progressive neighbor to the north and passed the End of Life Options Act, effective June 9th that year, making it the fifth state in the country to adopt such legislation. There are now 11 states and jurisdictions in the U.S. that support medical aid in dying. This Act was renewed and enhanced earlier this year. Knowing what options might be available through this Act – including the potential for medically-assisted death – may be worth learning about. The Act empowers a person to choose a death with dignity.

For the Third Friday Lunch Bunch on 19th August, we will have a well-versed team of experts on this subject making a presentation to us after our check-ins.

• Stewart Florsheim, Board Member, End of Life Choices California
• Ann Gordon, Practice Leader, End of Life Option Program, Kaiser Permanente, NCal

They will help us answer at least the following questions, plus be available for a robust Q&A session after their presentation.

• What does the act cover and how has it changed this year?
• What are the other legal options available in California at the end of life?

For more Information, please contact:  Dr. John David Dupree, Secretary at JohnDavid@LavenderSeniors.org