Anna says...

[tamaravining]

I was at Anna Vargo's for dinner tonight and said something about LJ and getting back online today, and she said "Oh, you're on LJ? Do you post there a lot?", and I said, yes, I'm on, though I don't post a lot sometimes. She said OK, post this for me, and tasked me with telling you all the following:

"Anna says she is using this opportunity to preach:
1) Do your Will
2) Do your Durable Power of Attorney
3) Do your Durable Medical Power of Attorney
4) Do a Living Will

It's very important to do all of these things. They need to be done now."

I told her I'd get right on it, and here I am, on it.

Comments

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Please pass along my thanks for reminders 2, 3, and 4. My will has needed updating for three years now, and I just finally got the ball rolling on that by handing my current will to my MA lawyer at Saturday's housewarming party, and talking with her briefly about it. Not your usual housewarming conversation, but, as Anna preaches, it's important.

I'm also putting the pieces in place for my new emergency contact info, but hadn't remembered the Power of Attorney parts that make everything so much easier (and, in many cases, possible). Anna's reminder helped that one go "click."

[tamiam.livejournal.com]

I'll print this out and take it to her. She'll be glad to know someone is listening!

[redbird]

And check your state laws: apparently New York is weird in this regard, and a living will won't do much good here.

[ssprince.livejournal.com]

But what I gather is that it's better to try than not, that New York is not a good place to leave matters to the authorities. I have a very simple document naming my sisters who are closest to me in age to make decisions for me (the more I see of pre-hospital emergency care, not that I've seen much as an ambulance flunky in a very small town, the more I dread being stuck in a techno-limbo). Like an idiot I've already forgotten what type that document is, maybe an Advance Directive, but I got it from the retired physician I read for who is on a hospital ethics committee.