End-of-Life Planning Checklist, Workbook and Emergency Card

Today our mobile phones can act as great partners in helping us get emergency services and identify our emergency contacts.   With full privacy options available, you can display whatever helpful information you'd like to share if and when 911 is called to provide life-sustaining measures and make sure those you want contacted are immediately notified.  

There are several options of Advance Directives listed here.  You only need to complete one. Some have DPOA for Healthcare and Healthcare Directive combined and others have them separate.  Some are autofill, some are manual.  It is up to you to choose the directive you feel is most suited for how you'd like to share your wishes and in what format.

If cognitive decline becomes a factor with your health, temporarily, or progressively, like dementia, an Advance Directive uniquely focused on how you want decisions made when you can no longer make them for yourself is of great comfort to loved ones or your support team.  It will help guide the kind of care you'll receive and what end-of-life decisions you would want made.  

A Portable Order for Life Sustaining Treatment is medical order signed by a doctor to communicate with Emergency Medical Personnel outside of a hospital what life-sustaining treatments you do or do not want.  You can post it in your home, and/or carry copies with you.  This will ensure if 911 is called, your wishes will be honored.  

Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) is a legal choice that any individual can make when they want to have the autonomy to die a natural death. This is a choice some people make when living with uncompromising illness, frailty,  terminal illness, or suffering that can not be relieved.  VSED can be supported by hospice and medical care teams.  

Medical Aid in Dying  is a legal end-of-life choice for residents 18 years or older in Washington State when living with a terminal illness with less than 6 months to live if they still have cognitive capacity.  If this is a choice you'd want to consider, it is helpful to discuss this with your doctor to make sure they are able to support this legal end-of-life option.  

The differences between Palliative and Hospice Care can be confusing.  Palliative Care is care provided when you are receiving curative treatment to extend life.  Hospice Care is provided most often when curative treatment is no longer present, end-of-life is imminent and/or a terminal diagnosis is given with less than 6 months to live. 

Known Wishes does not provide legal advice to those we work with.  We can however share best practices and guidance as to what actions you may want to take to organize and protect your financial affairs in the event of an unexpected emergency or your death.  

Completing the Disposition Directions and Designated Agent form below can be such a helpful gift for loved ones when you die.  It gives them direction from you about how you want your body cared for, your vital stats to order a Death Certificate, what kind of remembrance you'd like and sets them up to easily manage the immediate things that may need to be taken care of in an unexpected emergency or your death.  The Digital Asset Management form is equally helpful as it provides all of the necessary information to manage passwords, social medica accounts and more.