Another frequent question we get about Organ Donation is:

Aren't I too old to donate organs?

Many clients are joking when they ask but the misconception that their is an age limit for donation leads many who can and would be donors not to take the steps to volunteer. 

While there are diseases such as cancer and AIDS that prevent donation, there is no age limit on donors.  As doctors we have worked with have explained, if you have a critical organ failing that is difficult to match, the healthy organ of an 80 year old that is a decent match is going to be much better than what you have.  Matches at that age and above are not uncommon and save lives.  So don't write off your organs yet!

If you have more questions about organ donation, or are interesting in making your wishes regarding donation known and included in your disability and estate plan, contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation.  We can be reached at (206) 459-1908 or info@phinneyestatelaw.com.

One issue that we encourage all clients to address is their Advanced Health Care Directive is whether or not they are willing to be an organ or tissue donor.   As a result we get a lot of questions and wanted to try to answer some of the most common here including:

How Needed is Organ Donation?

As of July 2012 there are currently 114,712 Patients Waiting for life saving organs.  Of those, 64,292 are Multicultural Patients who can be especially difficult to match and 1,737 are Pediatric Patients.  Each day, 13 of them will die because the organs they need have not been donated. Every 16 minutes, a new name will be added to that waiting list.

The good news is that 28,535 Organ Transplants Performed in 2011 from 14,144 Organ Donors.  In addition, more than 46,000 corneas were transplanted in 2011.

Long wait lists result from low rates of opt in to the donation process, the special circumstances required to allow organ harvesting, and the difficulting in finding safe matches for some patients. 

If you have more questions about organ donation, or are interesting in making your wishes regarding donation known and included in your disability and estate plan, contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation.  We can be reached at (206) 459-1908 or info@phinneyestatelaw.com.

In our last post we gave recommendations about treatment choices that are helpful to add to an advanced health care directive.  But working with families in the middle of health care emergencies we know that those are not the only choices agents get asked to make.  So when working with clients on their advanced health care directives I encourage them to give guidance as well such as:

o   I want my doctor to give me enough medicine to relieve my pain, even if that means that I will be drowsy or sleep more than I would otherwise.

o   I want my doctor to give me enough medicine to relieve my pain, but I want my pain medication reduced frequently to allow me moments of lucidity.

o   I want my Health Care Agent to explore alternative medicine treatments.

o   I want to be kept fresh and clean at all times.

o   I want to have personal care like shaving, nail clipping, hair brushing, and teeth brushing as long as they do not cause me pain or discomfort.

o   I want to have people with me when possible.  The visitors that would be most meaningful to me are: ___________________________________________________________________________________

o   I want to have my hand held and to be talked to when possible, even if I don’t seem to respond to the voice or touch of others.

o   I also want to have religious readings and well-loved poems read aloud when I am near death, such as: __________________________________________________________________________________

o   If I am alone and awake I would like to have music or books on tape playing, such as: __________________________________________________________________________________

o   I want to have pictures of my loved ones in my room.

o   I want to have flowers or live plants in my room.

o   I want to have a hospice care and other palliative care provided as soon as appropriate..

o   I want to be treated at home if possible.

o   I want to have the members of my faith community told that I am sick and asked to pray for me and visit me.

o   I want to have others by my side praying for me when possible.

o   I do not want to have politicians or clergy involved in my health care choices

o   I do not was clergy visiting me.

We have had clients select a host of mixtures of these instructions.  Often selecting them can feel strange, especially if the client is currently healthy.  It can feel controlling or demanding.  But the reality is that we have never had an agent tell us they had too much information about what they do.  What makes the job hard and encourages conflict is the agent and others involved not knowing what the right thing to do is for that specific patient.

If you would like help drafting an Advanced Health Care Directive that is right for you, contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation at (206) 459-1908 or info@phinneyestatelaw.com

In previous posts we have discussed how to select and document your choice of who should serve as your Health Care Agent if you should loose the ability to provided informed consent for your own health care choices.  That is without a doubt the most important single step you can take in make a plan for your future possible medical disability but there are other steps that can and should be taken as well and one of the most important is drafting an Advanced Health Care Directive.

An Advanced Health Care Directive, as the name suggested, provides guidance to your Health Care Agent and Doctors about what kind of health care choices you would want made for you in difference circumstances.  These documents are often referred to as "living wills."   In Washington the statute that allows for the creation of Advance Health Care Directives is RCW 70.122.  The statute requires that the directive be executed while the agent is still capable of make their own health care choices and be witnessed by two witnesses who are not close family members or health care providers.  The statute also places restrictions on the application of Advanced Health Care Directives when patients are pregnant.

Many hospitals have free Advanced Health Care Directives that address a few limited forms of life support but much more detailed directives can be done with an attorney and the more detailed guidance is usually much more helpful to families.  An attorney can also make sure that the witness rules are followed as forms provided in hospitals are often witnessed by inappropriate witnesses that can render them invalid. An attorney can also ensure that added language is put in the directive to make it effective in other states that have different execution requirements.

If you would like to schedule an appointment to develop an advanced health care directive contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation at (206) 459-1908 or info@phinneyestatelaw.com.