Blog

Expressing Our Wishes Before Death: The Importance of Advance Directives By Mahavisnupriya devi dasi Srila Prabhupada appeared in this world on Lord Krishna’s request to teach us how to live a pure life of Krishna consciousness which also includes how to finally pass away from this world. For us, planning for our final chapter of life involves getting many material decisions made beforehand. Planning ahead or laying out a road map lets our transitioning from this mortal world move more smoothly while not leaving our loved ones in crisis or grappling with unknowable but important issues on their own. Getting our wishes made clear on paper will also give us peace of mind, so that we can focus more on our spiritual departure. These documents are known as Advance Directives. Advance Directives aren’t just for older adults. Unexpected end-of-life situations can happen at any stage of life, so it’s important for all families to prepare these documents in advance. These Advance Directives spell out clearly our last wishes and ensure that the rights of the ill, injured or dying can control decisions about their own medical care. These directives guide choices for doctors and caregivers if you’re terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or near the end of life. By planning ahead, you can get the medical care you want, avoid unnecessary suffering, be unhampered by unnecessary procedures and relieve caregivers of decision-making burdens during moments of crisis or grief. You also help reduce confusion or disagreement about the choices you would want people to make on your behalf. These documents consist of 1)-power of attorney or naming a person as your health representative, surrogate, or as a patient advocate, as they are known legally in 42 states. 2)-A living will spells out in detail your wishes regarding the kind of medical care you would like to receive. 3)-A letter of instruction covers all other material decisions that are important to you, such as, who gets my Deities and spiritual books? What type of remembrance service do I want? Who should be notified in your extended family of your departure? Power of Attorney The person you name may be a spouse, other family member, friend or members of our Krishna Consciousness faith community. You may also choose one or more alternates in case the person you chose is unable to fulfill his or her role. Living Will A living will is a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be used to keep you alive, as well as other decisions such as pain management or organ donation. How do you feel about antibiotics and antiviral medicines, etc.? These can be spelled out clearly here. Letter of Instruction The third part of the road map—a letter of instruction—isn’t a legal document, but it helps families find important information and saves them from having to dig through papers during a crisis. This document is a three-part personal letter that goes with the will. The first part includes the names of people to contact and instructions for planning a funeral. The second part covers financial affairs such as lists of important accounts and phone numbers that must be notified of your status. In the last part, you can give away meaningful possessions, like your Deities, your books and write special messages to family members and dear friends. Taken altogether, the Advance Directives and the letter of instruction give your family a road map for your wishes. Put your desires in writing by completing these three important documents: a living will, a health-care power of attorney, and a letter of instruction. You can get more information from the Aging with Dignity website, especially by looking at the form titled, 5 Wishes or the AARP website on line regarding Advance Directives. It is the intent of our New Ramana Reti, Alachua, community to have an advanced directive on file for all our members, as the temple desires to serve each devotee personally while meeting all your needs.