David Pratt, M.D. and Rev. Dave Munro, Esq.
Materials from the Meeting
The slides presented by Dr. Pratt are available in our library HERE , in PDF format.
The slides presented by Rev. Dave Munro, Esq. are available in our library HERE , in PDF format.
Also, a document titled “Advance Health Care Directives in New York” by Dave Munro, which is a companion to his presentation, is available in our library HERE , in PDF format.
Unfortunately, a video of the program is not available.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 — 4:00–5:30 pm (Opens 5 mins early)
Online Zoom Meeting
Advance Registration is Necessary
It’s time to think about Advance Directives again!
Making health care decisions when you are ill is difficult enough, but you also need to plan in advance for situations (such as being in an I.C.U.) when you cannot make them yourself. These plans get embodied in Advance Directives, which include Living Wills, Health Care Proxies, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, and Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST).
A recent New York Times article by Dr. Daniela Lamas (in our library HERE ) points out the difficulties for patients and their doctors that can be caused by directives drawn up years ago. These difficulties arise because people’s ideas and circumstances change over time, as do laws and procedures.
If you prepared advance directives some years ago, it makes sense to review them and make changes as appropriate.
If you or other family members don’t have advance directives, it’s time to learn about them and take some action. And keep in mind that advance directives are important for people of all ages and health conditions, not just the elderly or the sick, because accidents and other unexpected things happen.
David Pratt, M.D. and Rev. Dave Munro, Esq. are long-time members of Death with Dignity–Albany. With a doctor and a lawyer sharing their knowledge and insights about advance directives, there will be lots to learn. The program on April 5 will have a presentation/conversation format, with an opportunity for viewer questions at the end.
This virtual meeting is free and open to the public. To receive a Zoom invitation and meeting link, click on:
You will see a registration approval online and then receive an email.
For an overview of end-of-life medical situations and the role of advance planning, the hour-long PBS documentary “Passing On” is highly recommended. It is available for watching (free), with supplementary material, at passing-on.org This film was shown at our October 2019 meeting.
For more information and background about advance care planning, see the Resources page on our website.