I suppose we are elderly now. The Doctor has suggested that we fill out health care directives. ( Hint hint, you are getting older and might croak soon and our job would be easier if you would just do this mountain of paperwork) Mine was easy CPR NO, feeding tubes NO, Intubation and Ventilator 3 days and then the plug is pulled, no waiting around either 70 hours is time enough…pain medications..YES!~ BRING ON THE GOOD STUFF!
The three days gives them time to treat you with antibiotics to see if you can recover to be sort of normal/return to home again.
Talk about paperwork…somebody that speaks legal ease must have come up with all that crap. Four pages of instructions and then a hot pink envelope…I suppose the envelope should go on the fridge? I didn’t read that far in the instructions. The three pages of paperwork has to be witnessed by two people and then notarized. The government must be involved to make things so freaking complicated.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a Medical ID Bracelet with the info? Or maybe something in your wallet? Maybe it could be put on your drivers license? I know a implanted chip that they can scan!!
I am certain that if the ambulance hauls Far Guy to the hospital I will make sure they have his hot pink envelope.
I was an Emergency Medical Technician for many years, CPR is not an easy thing…I saw two cases where it worked…one lady lived for two days enough to let her family say goodbye and the other fellow lived awhile in the ER and was then pronounced. Time of death? Everyone looks at the clock and then sighs when the ER Doc states the time. In my opinion CPR should be saved for the young and for drownings.
Death Directives: Cremation…I would like the bulk of my ashes to go to the Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach. Just the sound of those waves crashing to shore relaxes me. A small amount of ashes can go to the cemetery nearby in a smashing ruby red container so mourning relatives have some place to go. We are torn as to which cemetery we should be buried at…I think Linnell is winning over Riverside…because Linnell gets mowed more often…Riverside looks weedy part of the summer. At any case we have not bought a plot YET. Linnell is the cemetery I go to star gaze at night…it is just down the road from where we live.
Our wills have been recorded for a number of years. I don’t know about other States but in Minnesota the will must be recorded at the Recorders Office …in order for it to be a legal last will and testament. I bought a certificate at a local fundraiser that allowed us to have our wills made out by a local lawyer. Again lots of paperwork.
Somewhere on a different computer that has since been junked I had a obituary and an order of service. I will have to work on that again some day. Children should not be left to write the obituary, they have enough to contend with and will often guess at dates and years…so if you want it done right …do it yourself. As I recall it was a rather humorous obituary too. I will have to look and see if I kept a hard copy someplace.
I found this old photo when I was organizing some “stuff” It was taken at Cannon Beach Oregon on October 30 2003.
I love this photo. When my dad passed, 17 years ago, John and I did all of this "stuff." I won't even worry about WHO will take care of any of it since we don't have kids.
ReplyDeleteOh boy, not easy....Great picture, Francine.
ReplyDeleteWow! Minnesota is different than Wisconsin. When I had surgery a few years ago I made out a directive. It was only two pages, and needed two witnesses - that was it. Wills don't have to be registered with anyone here either. When we had did our wills we gave all the information to my son and our final wishes. It sure is a relief tho to know some things are taken care of. But then when I'm dead I guess I won't care what happens.
ReplyDeleteI did all that years ago while I lived in Boulder. When I moved here they asked me to fill out some forms at the clinic, not all that long and hard. Certainly not four pages and a hot pink envelope! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think we're all set in the directives department. The thing that bothers me is that we did all that a long time ago. Legislatures keep changing rules. Hope all of our stuff was "grandfathered" in. Seems like there is always some problem for the survivors.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for getting all these things sorted out now. My in-laws have also gotten all their affairs in order and we are doing the same thing. My Aunt died this year of lung cancer and she didn't do anything. No will, no arrangements for her service, no one to take her cats. It was a mess. Her son and my mom are still paying for the medical bills and other costs.
ReplyDeleteYou've triggered some thoughts here. We've done all that but I need to think about where everything is - safety deposit box, I think. We also have a cemetery plot, but I have no idea how to prove that. Guess I'd better get more organized. I just signed up for Medicare yesterday, so I can't exactly deny where I am in life!
ReplyDeleteI need to update my will and directives. I move around so much that I don't know where to buy a plot!
ReplyDeleteYes, it sure does seem like you have to fill out a mountain of paper work, NO matter what you do! We have been very bad, the hubby and I have not done anything about wills. I keep reminding him but then life gets in the way and we forget.
ReplyDeleteA good reminder. I've done none of that. Maybe because I don't feel old yet?
ReplyDeleteI have a health directive and have for years - similar to yours. I'll have to rethink CPR. My church asked members to file funeral suggestions with the secretary (obit, hymns, and Scripture) I did that, but I also need to revise it since it has been a while. I have a plot next to my parents and one brother: I suppose I should check on that, too. Thanks for the nudge.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about the three day thing when I filled my papers out. We are all paid up to go. Just don't want to give the darlings our check book yet.
ReplyDeletewell you followed directions well! and Fast! Now that its in order you won't need it!
ReplyDeleteLovely view!
ReplyDeleteThat is something we should start looking into...
We did those documents about 14 years ago - - - after my mom and his dad died. My mom had the paperwork. His dad couldn't talk about death so no paperwork. Bill had to make numerous trips back and forth to Alabama and go through the courts. (He and I were the executor and executrix.) We decided at that time that remaining family members should have the legal documents they need to make a tough time a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteThese are all things we should consider very seriously. I've changed over the years. No memorial. I will write an obituary. I have a good Idea what I want to say. You deal with this in a rather humorous and informative way.
ReplyDeleteYou are smart to get everything in order. Last year, when my Dad's health was questionable, my brother, sister and I collaborated on his obituary. It was so wonderful to know that it was completed - it made me feel a bit better about the "what if's". We did have questions about what to include. I really like the idea of creating your own.
ReplyDeleteDirectives are so important - we all have our's - just in case.
I'd like to point out to Marty that a safe deposit box will often be SEALED upon death in certain states and is not a good place for a will because no one can get to it until an executor is appointed- and that fact is in the Will. Your Will should be with the attorney who crafted it, or somewhere known to family, but NOT in the safe deposit box at a bank.
ReplyDeleteI should think about those things. I'm 63 and just because we usually live at least into the 80s in my family (my dad's mom lived to be 104) doesn't mean that I will--LOL! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, yes. Be there done that! I haven't done the Obit yet or gone through the house and put a label on every little knick knack, or the big stuff...furniture. We get to go out much more organized than when we came in. When we came it it was up to our parents...now it up to us. Unless we want the Government to do it.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife@wordpress.com
I have to get that done too. I I have a will but that was back in Iowa and I don't think it's valid if I'm living here. Yes, good idea about the obit too. My step father wrote my Mothers and all it said was that she liked birds.....Hello? It was despicable after all she had accomplished and done in her life. So, yes, write your own....then everyone will get a surprise after you're gone. I think I'll put something in about robbing a bank when I was young and hints as to where I might have hid the money if I could only remember? Then it will be fun to look down/or up and see who runs the fastest trying to find it! LOL! Thanks for the reminder, as I really do need to do this.
ReplyDelete