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Estate planning attorneys can use the popular TV program Mad Men to help their clients start conversations on wills, trusts and funerals.
In the season premiere of AMC-TV’s Mad Men, mortality seems to be on the minds of many key characters.
Ad exec Roger Sterling’s secretary tearfully delivers the news that his 91-year-old mother died of a stroke in her bathroom. This sets in motion many of the reactions and relationship issues we so often see at funerals or memorial services: dazed and stunned mourners, tense and awkward interactions with distant relatives, and family members angling for money.
Roger takes the news without a tear. In a later scene, he confesses to his psychiatrist that he really doesn’t feel anything at all anymore.
At the memorial service held in Mom’s elegant home, a demanding older woman in a wheelchair (an old friend of Roger’s mother) insists on being the first speaker at the event. She relates that after Roger’s father died, Mom made her son the center of her life. Roger doesn’t seem to know what to do with this information.
Use this as a lesson your clients can learn from: It can be helpful to have a celebrant or clergy person emceeing the memorial service, to thoughtfully manage speakers such as this lady. The bereaved family has enough on their hearts and minds without having to stage-manage a show.
Interestingly, Roger’s mother was cremated. She was in the minority in 1967. That year, those choosing cremation for final disposition in the U.S. averaged 4.18% of the entire population (figures from CANA, the Cremation Association of North America).
Roger’s ex-wives and daughter show up at the memorial service. In the fashion of the era, all are dressed in black. One of the ex-wives has a new husband who shows up to pay his respects, and Roger screams at him to get out. Then Roger declares the memorial service over. It hardly had a chance to get started.
After the service, Roger’s daughter asks if “Nana” had left her anything. Roger hands her a jar of water from the Jordan River, water used to baptize them both. She was hoping for money that could be used for a new venture her husband wants to invest in – refrigerated trucking.
Roger informs his daughter that Nana’s estate directed most of her considerable assets toward supporting animals at the zoo. Roger says her will “looked like the manifest for Noah’s ark.”
At least her money went toward a cause she believed in.
Mad Men is an addictive television series. Even if you or your clients have never watched it, you may want to seek out this season six opening episode, titled “Doorways.”
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, is author of the award-winning book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die. She hosts a new television interview series, A Good Goodbye TV and the upcoming Internet radio program at RockStarRadioNetwork.com. She uses humorous film and TV clips to help start funeral planning conversations. Her website is www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
First, a word of congratulations to the American Academy on its 20th anniversary, to be celebrated later this month in my own home base – the City of Brotherly Love. (And now to the blog…)
All seniors, including your clients, might as well be walking around with targets on their backs. They are all prospects for Medicare fraud, which can rob them during their lifetimes of their money, their time, and the high quality products and services that they expect. (See this NYT piece for a recent story.) In addition, it bilks taxpayers of $65 billion a year.
Medicare beneficiaries have long been attractive scam targets for many reasons, including that health insurance can be so darn complicated and convoluted that fraud is hard to spot. Here are some examples of common types of fraud to warn clients about:
- They receive an official-looking letter informing them of changes to their Medicare plan.
To receive more details they must send their personal information.
- They are offered a “free” health screening or massage if they provide their Medicare number.
- They are billed for services they never received.
- They receive the wrong medication or equipment via an internet purchase.
What can clients do if they suspect Medicare fraud? They can report it to their area Senior Medicare Patrol, where they will speak with a senior volunteer who has been trained to help them. This federally-financed program can help clients identify potential scams and actual fraud that has already occurred. Further, the Senior Medicare Patrol can cut through the red tape and connect clients with the organization that Medicare has contracted with to help beneficiaries rectify fraud. See this NYT piece for an example. (The DHHS Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s OIG also have Medicare fraud reporting systems.)
How can you help clients avoid being victims of Medicare fraud?
- Share with them a list of common fraud scams and how clients can protect themselves. Email me for a ready-to-use Client Tip Sheet.
- Contact your state’s Senior Medicare Patrol, which may also have pertinent information about local scams. A program member might even be available to speak at an event. (Marketing idea: Arrange a speaker as part of a community outreach session to attract prospects, an education session for existing clients and their adult children, or as part of your annual maintenance program or annual client appreciation day.)
Randi J. Siegel, MBA, is the President of DocuBank (docubank.com), the largest advance directives registry in the U.S., which ensures that the emergency information and healthcare directives of its 200,000 enrollees are immediately available 24/7/365. Working with estate planning professionals since 1997, Randi frequently speaks at national estate planning conferences and has appeared on radio and television as an authority on registries. A member of the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, the International Society of Advance Care Planning, and the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, she is active in health education and public engagement related to advance care planning and advance directives and serves as Pennsylvania liaison to the National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative. Randi is an ongoing contributor to the Academy blog.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Whether looking for a new dentist, contractor, plumber or even a pet sitter, millions of consumers visit Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List and other consumer advocate-oriented websites to read comments and reviews before making a decision. Even more consumers will ask their friends and neighbors for referrals – all because they need advice and want to avoid choosing the wrong person and wasting time and money.
With that in mind, consider joining many of the best seminar marketers in the country by personally inviting one or two of your best clients to your events. Be honest with them about what you’re presenting at the event and why you’d appreciate their help by either allowing you to tell their story or, better yet, allowing them a few minutes to recount their personal experience working with you.
A live testimonial can help you set more appointments and gain more clients than almost any other technique. Why? Because consumers are more likely to believe a fellow consumer when it comes to making such an important decision.
This isn’t a reflection on you as a consummate professional – an attorney with ethics and a passion for working with your clients to build a more secure estate and legacy plan. It’s leveraging the reality that word-of-mouth by a client carries more credibility in the eyes and mind of a potential client than all the awards and designations this wonderful business can bestow on us.
And if that isn’t enough, you can also use this as an opportunity to share new concepts and solutions to these clients that might not have been available when you last met with them. Call it cross-selling. Call it cementing an already-strong attorney – client relationship. Just call a few clients and ask them to attend and you’ll see what I’m talking about!
Jorge Villar is President of Response Marketing Excellence (RME), with more than 26 years of direct marketing experience, he is known in several industries for his ability to create mail packages that garner the highest response rates. He is responsible for the Seminar Success program that, for the last 17 years has accounted for more than 65% of the events being held in the nation with over 14 million individuals making reservations. Mr. Villar has also been very successful marketing to physicians and business owners regarding Success Planning and Asset Protection. Response Mail Express, and parent company DME, is a $100+ million marketing powerhouse, housing over 600 employees in their 2 state-of-the-art facilities in Florida. Their marketing ideas are presently being utilized by over 10,000 clients, including: top producing advisors, estate planning attorneys, large financial organizations, health care organizations, universities and many other industries. Mr. Villar is a frequent key note speaker at national financial symposium and training conferences.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Estate planning attorneys work with clients from many faiths. Understanding each faith’s funeral traditions allows you to better help the families you serve.
As the Doyenne of Death® and Vice-President of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue of New Mexico, I help explain Jewish traditions to our Christian brethren. Here are a few key things to know about Jewish funerals.
The 24-Hour Rule
The Jewish tradition of burying a body within 24 hours has Biblical as well as practical roots. Practically, the religion started in a hot desert culture, before the advent of modern refrigeration or embalming techniques. In fact, many aspects of Jewish funerals are echoed in Muslim funeral traditions.
Decomposition sets in within 24 hours without refrigeration or embalming, so burying quickly became a hallmark of Jewish funerals. The rules dictated in the Bible come from Deuteronomy 21:23: “Thou shalt bury him the same day,” and “His body shall not remain all night.”
Jewish Burial Equals Green Burial
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: Traditionally, Jews avoid embalming, as the blood is considered a part of the body, which is to be kept as intact as possible. The body is dressed in white cotton or linen clothing or shrouds. The casket is made of soft wood such as pine or poplar, meant to biodegrade in contact with the earth. The body, clothing and wood all decompose at about the same rate.
No Flowers
The custom of sending fragrant flowers to funerals originated in part to cover the smell of a decomposing body. Because of the promptness of Jewish burial, flowers are unnecessary. Memorial donations to a worthy cause supported by the deceased are the preferred way to show your sympathy.
No Viewing
Jews generally avoid viewing the body at a funeral, as it’s considered disrespectful of the earthly vessel that once held the human spirit.
However, the body is traditionally watched over prior to the funeral by a shomer (translated as observer or watchman) who recites prayers for the deceased. This has a practical basis going back to the desert culture origin, to keep wild animals from eating the body before burial.
Community Support After the Funeral
One of the biggest differences between Christians and Jews in funerals is when the family receives the support of their community. Christians may spend several days in visitation and viewings leading up to the funeral. Jews bury quickly and the family spends time after the funeral receiving the support of their community during the seven-day period of mourning known as shiva (translated as seven).
For more information about the many traditions related to Jewish funerals and mourning, check out www.ShivaConnect.com. It is a great resource that also offers a free service to help families coordinate communications and food following a funeral.
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, is author of the award-winning book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die and host of the new television interview series, A Good Goodbye TV. She speaks regularly to Jewish and Christian groups and helps start funeral planning conversations. Her website is www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
I recently attended the first annual meeting of the national Coalition to Transform Advanced Illness Care (C-TAC). Most striking was this: amidst the high-level discussion about healthcare systems changes, public engagement and policy improvements, the over-riding theme was stories. The personal stories from the speakers and panelists about the death of a loved one.
Even the 3 U.S. Senators who spoke (both republican and democratic) began with how their personal stories motivated them to want to improve national policy on this issue. The stories were both of “good deaths” and “bad deaths.”
Everyone has these stories, whether about the death of a parent, a grandparent, a close friend. Which is why you should consider using their power when it comes to your clients’ health care directives and advance care planning. You can elicit their stories, but you can also share your own.
Telling your personal story to clients and prospects can be a good way to:
- Explain what healthcare directives are for
- Convey why it’s important to families to document one’s wishes and talk about them
- Create an emotional connection with clients and prospects
While it may not be appropriate to reveal to clients what sort of estate planning vehicles and decisions your own parents or grandparents made and what happened when they died, you can probably share what happened when they were hospitalized, whether their medical wishes were followed, and whether they were even known.
For some examples of how you might succinctly tell your own story about the death of a loved one, see The Conversation Project. It contains the stories of a number of leaders in medicine, clergy, and the media who came together to share their own stories about the deaths of their own loved ones. Founded by former syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman, this initiative helps people create a comfortable, safe way to talk about their goals for living with and dying from advancing illness
The Conversation Project also has great suggestions on how clients can start their own conversation with loved ones about their health care wishes and how to guide it. Tell them to read the “opening lines” suggestions from The Conversation Project. Tell them to use its guides for when and where they might like to have this conversation. Tell them they have to do it. Sooner or later, their adult children will thank you.
Randi J. Siegel,MBA, is the President of DocuBank(docubank.com), the largest advance directives registry in the U.S., which ensures that the emergency information and healthcare directives of its 200,000 enrollees are immediately available 24/7/365. Working with estate planning professionals since 1997, Randi frequently speaks at national estate planning conferences and has appeared on radio and television as an authority on registries. A member of the International Society of Advance Care Planning, she is active in health policy and health education related to advance care planning and advance directives and serves as Pennsylvania liaison to the National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative. Randi is an ongoing contributor to the Academy blog.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Which television venue can better help start funeral planning conversations: reality TV or TV interviews? Yep, even funerals are fair game for reality TV, as you’ll find out.
TV interviews can get people talking about their own funeral services by bringing the conversation directly into their homes. The problem is, most news and talk programs won’t touch the subject.
That’s why A Good Goodbye TV, an educational and entertaining 12-episode series of 30-minute programs, will present expert interviews on “everything you need to know before you go.”
Each conversation on A Good Goodbye TV will illustrate my motto: Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, and talking about funerals won’t make you dead. By planning ahead and having a conversation, families can reduce stress at a time of grief, minimize family conflict, save money and create a meaningful, memorable “good goodbye.”
It’s rare to see people talk knowledgeably about estate and funeral planning issues on television. Watching such a conversation enables families to discuss these topics and take action BEFORE there’s a crisis.
Topics to be covered include estate planning, funeral planning, cremation, cemeteries, managing costs, eco-friendly funerals, life celebrations, pet loss, end-of-life issues and much more.
The episode on estate planning will feature Jim Plitz, attorney with AAEPA member firm Morris, Hall & Kinghorn, P.L.L.C. The firm has offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque and other communities throughout Arizona and New Mexico.
The program will initially air on public access channels in New Mexico, then be offered nationally to 2,700 content-hungry public access channels. Pay-per-view online downloads and DVDs will follow.
Compare intelligent conversation with “reality TV.” On January 6, the cable channel TLC debuted a pilot program Best Funeral Ever, focused on over-the-top celebratory funerals. It featured African-American “home-going” services produced by the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, TX.
Each funeral had a theme: a Christmas funeral for a man who loved the holiday season; a barbeque funeral for the singer of a jingle about baby back ribs; and a memorial service visit to the East Texas State Fair with the cremated remains of a man who loved the fair but couldn’t go on rides because he had spina bifada.
These colorful, activity-filled funerals were the opposite of traditional services. The funeral home staffers were creative, energetic and totally committed to serving their families. The families served were very happy with the results.
While participating in a live online chat with funeral directors watching the program, industry reactions were mixed. The pseudo-dramatic aspects of the program got the most negative reviews. Some funeral directors wondered about the dignity of the proceedings – especially the presence of live animals (two pigs at the barbeque funeral, 17 unusual manger animals for the Christmas funeral).
And yet, this program showed what an arrangement conference with a family in a funeral home actually looks like. Plus, it showed people truly celebrating the lives of those they loved.
If it takes a program like Best Funeral Ever to get people to talk about funeral planning, I’m all for it! But “reality TV” is not the only reality on television. What kind of TV do you think your clients would prefer for starting a funeral planning conversation?
You can learn more about A Good Goodbye TV here: http://agoodgoodbye.com/a-good-goodbye-tv-series/
Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®, is author of the award-winning book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die and host of the new television interview series, A Good Goodbye TV. She speaks to groups using clips from funny films to illustrate funeral planning issues and help start serious conversations. Her website is www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Can the medium used to present medical information affect patients’ understanding and the decisions they make about their medical care?
Yes, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Researchers looked at different methods for presenting information about CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to advanced cancer patients. One group of patients listened to a verbal description of CPR and its chances of successfully resuscitating patients. The other group heard the same information, accompanied by a short (3-minute) video showing a simulation of a patient receiving CPR and being put on a ventilator.
The results: very different. Less than half as many people wanted CPR for themselves when they also saw the video (20%), compared to those hearing only the narrative (48%). Put another way, more than twice as many people wanted CPR when they hadn’t visually seen how it worked. The patients who saw the video were also better informed about CPR and their decisions. This study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial, the “gold standard” for medical research.
Inquiry about how patients — and people in general — process information and acquire knowledge is a burgeoning field of study, both in medicine and neuroscience. The latter has already demonstrated that individuals tend to process and understand information better when they receive it from more than one medium.
This raises a couple of questions for estate planning and elder law attorneys:
- As part of teaching your clients to be good medical advocates (for themselves or as a health care power of attorney), how might you counsel them about ways to better understand the information presented to them? You could advise them to ask for information in different modalities: they can ask for it in writing as well as just being “told.” Or ask for a verbal explanation if they are only handed a piece of paper. This is important for follow-up instructions at a doctor’s visit or upon hospital discharge, as well as when making treatment decisions.
- Should we bring this approach (ie presenting information in multiple modalities) into the advance care planning process earlier on? Possibly even at the point of clients executing their advance directives?
And then there’s the broader question for your practice: As an attorney in an agency relationship with your clients, you possess a vast amount of complex, specialized knowledge that is guiding your counsel to them. Do you think it would help your clients, or your attorney-client relationship, if clients understood more about what you are advising them? (This is not a rhetorical question.) Could it possibly even change their understanding of your questions and cause them to make different decisions? While clients presumably trust your professional expertise, would it nonetheless make some more comfortable to better understand what you’re creating for them? Would increased knowledge of or comfort level with your plan contribute to their willingness to pay a higher fee? To refer others to you?
If the answer to any of these is “yes,” what different, reasonably-priced media could you use to share information that you aren’t using now? If you are principally talking to clients presently, would it be helpful to have a written description also? What about pictures or diagrams — of the A/B Trust design of an RLT, for instance? (I know that those of you in the Academy have the latter already.)
Do you think anything works better than just talking with clients to help convey information and understanding? If so, what? I’d love to hear your thoughts. (And you don’t have to divulge your proprietary info.)
Randi J. Siegel,MBA, is the President of DocuBank(docubank.com), the largest advance directives registry in the U.S., which ensures that the emergency information and healthcare directives of its 200,000 enrollees are immediately available 24/7/365. Working with estate planning professionals since 1997, Randi frequently speaks at national estate planning conferences and has appeared on radio and television as an authority on registries. A member of the International Society of Advance Care Planning, she is active in health policy and health education related to advance care planning and advance directives and serves as Pennsylvania liaison to the National Healthcare Decisions Day initiative. Randi is an ongoing contributor to the Academy blog.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Have you seen or spoken to ALL of your clients in the last few years? If not, you may want to consider doing so. Periodic client review meetings are valuable for both the client and the attorney. For clients, there are many reasons to keep their estate plans updated to incorporate the changing landscape of their family unit and life events:
- Remarriage of a surviving spouse
- Birth or adoption of children or grandchildren
- Death of a spouse or someone named in the estate plan
- Change in relationships, distributions or goals
- Change in estate and tax laws
- Change in assets or new assets purchased
- Change in residence – value or location
For attorneys, client review meetings are a way to ensure all necessary changes are incorporated into your client’s estate planning documents to meet their goals. There are also other bonuses when you reconnect with your clients:
- Create a stronger relationship with your clients
- Connect to clients’ family members for second generation planning
- Amendment or restatement work if needed
- Change document language to keep up with state and federal laws
- Leads for private speaking engagements
- Financial advisors’ names to build up a networking database
- Promote a new service or practice area of the firm
- New Trust Administration or probate cases
Creating a comprehensive estate plan is just the first step in the estate planning process. The next step is to create a systematic program that occurs every year or month (depending on your system) to touch base with your clients. A system is an activity or function that happens the same way every time with a follow up system to remind you to execute it. Once you connect with your clients, bring them in to review their plan to make sure it accurately reflects their current personal and financial goals.
Clients are a precious resource. By touching base with them on a regular basis, you can make sure the estate plan you created for them years ago is keeping pace with their evolving needs and serving them the way you intended.
Susan Russel
Director of Member Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
The Death Café is a new trend that estate planning attorneys can employ to help clients to consider their mortality and address the implications of everyone’s finite life spans.
The objective of Death Café is “To increase awareness of death with a view toward helping people make the most of their (finite) lives.” People come together in a relaxed, confidential and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea (or a favorite beverage) and eat delicious cake and cookies.
The Death Café concept started in England, where “stiff-upper-lip” Brits have an especially hard time talking about death. Founder Jon Underwood modeled it on the café mortel created by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz. Underwood held his first Death Café event September 2011 at his home in London. Since then, more than 200 people have attended Death Café events in the Royal Festival Hall, a yurt, cool cafes and other people’s houses.
Thanatologist (that’s a death educator) Lizzy Miles coordinated the first U.S. Death Café held in Columbus, Ohio July 2012. She has since gone on to coordinate four more, including one specifically for LGBT individuals.
The movement is growing in the U.S. I hosted two Death Café events in Albuquerque on September 30 and November 7. Home funeral guide Merilynne Rush hosted the first Death Café in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 17.
My first Death Cafe featured a wide ranging discussion of mortality issues such as living life to the fullest, bucket lists, aging in place and end-of-life decision-making. Questions pondered included “Would you want to die in your sleep?” “Does the idea of death make us want to live more fully?” and “Is it right for someone to dictate not having a funeral or memorial service?”
In the program evaluation forms, some of the terms used to describe the event were “thought-provoking” “intriguing” “stimulating” “worthwhile” “comfortable” “informative” “practical” “interesting” “safe” “educational” and “fun.”
Death Cafes are always offered:
- On a not for profit basis, though to be sustainable hosts may try to cover expenses through donations and fundraising
- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space, free of discrimination, where people can express their views safely
- With no intention of leading participants towards any particular conclusion, product or course of action
- With refreshing drinks and nourishing food – and cake!
Underwood actively encourages people to set up their own Death Café events. In February 2012, he produced a guide to running your own Death Café. It’s available at http://www.deathcafe.com/2012/02/how-to-offer-death-cafe.html. You can also find articles and more information at http://agoodgoodbye.com/events/abq-death-cafe/ .
Death, if it’s discussed at all, is so often spoken about in furtive, low whispers. We’re all headed down this path eventually. Let’s talk about our concerns, our hopes and fears. The Death Café is a wonderful way to take this topic out of a dark closet.
The Doyenne of Death™ Gail Rubin is author of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die and The Family Plot Blog. A death educator and Certified Celebrant who brings light to a dark subject, she helps get serious conversations started with funny film presentations. Her website is www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Acting as the health care proxy for a loved one who has been in the ICU for 5 days is stressful. No news here. But a new study finds that a surrogate’s confidence in their decisions can actually be increased and their stress decreased — if the patient and the surrogate had talked about treatment preferences in advance. This was true even if patients hadn’t written down their health care wishes.
So, you think you are “done” with your clients’ advance care planning when clients sign their advance directives? Nope.
The next step in proactive planning is to counsel clients to talk with their named health care agent about their wishes or goals. This is consistent with your role as a trusted advisor, not just a drafter of documents.
When talking together, loved ones can get a sense of the client’s preferences about what’s important to them. Maybe it’s certain qualities of life, or length of life, or thinking about potential tradeoffs between them. Yes, it’s true that all possible medical scenarios can’t be discussed in advance, but that isn’t the goal. (This is also why the living will is usually best used as guidance to the health care agent.)
Perhaps the scenario featured in this study could even be a catalyst for a discussion by clients who want to dig a bit deeper: Your client is in the ICU for 5 days on a ventilator. What’s important to them if they’re in the ICU because: they have a terminal condition? Are in an irreversible coma? Have had a stroke and may remain severely physically impaired? Or severely mentally impaired? The answers might be different.
Is this topic really necessary for you to advise your clients about? Consider this: on average, ¼ of your elderly clients will die in an ICU. Even more will die in situations requiring their health care agent to make decisions. What do you want to do to help your clients’ spouses, adult children, or other surrogates feel more confident that their decisions will be in your clients’ best interest?
PS Thanksgiving is a great time for clients to talk with their families about healthcare wishes. Folks are relaxed and not in the midst of a medical crisis. This 2-minute video is a good inspiration for clients. Click here if you’d like a draft article for your client newsletter or e-blast encouraging clients to “have the talk” over Thanksgiving.
Randi J. Siegel, MBA, is the President of DocuBank (docubank.com), the largest advance directives registry in the U.S., which ensures that the emergency information and healthcare directives of its 200,000 enrollees are immediately available 24/7/365. Working with estate planning professionals since 1997, Randi frequently speaks at national estate planning conferences and has appeared on radio and television as an authority on registries. A member of the International Society of Advance Care Planning, she is active in health policy and health education related to advance care
Academy Guest Blogger
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
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