A Word From Our
Executive Director
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Dear Friends,
As you can see from this month's lead story, the benefits of planning ahead for your future healthcare are many. Advance Care Planning may well reduce or eliminate unwanted aggressive treatment at the end of life. In fact, one study result found that medical costs were significantly less for patients who had end-of-life discussions.
If you haven't yet completed your Advance Healthcare Directive, please register to attend any of seven free monthly Advance Care our Planning Directives workshops offered by the Alliance and Sansum Clinic (see below).
You and your loved ones will be glad you did.
With warm gratitude,
Susan Plummer, Exec. Director
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Upcoming Free
Advance Care Planning Workshops
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July 1 Advance Care Planning Workshop, Congregation B'nai B'rith, 1000 San Antonio Creek Road, Santa Barbara, 3-5 pm. To register, call the Alliance at (805) 845-5314 or
register online.
July 8
Advance Care Planning Workshop, Sansum Clinic, 215 Pesedas Lane, 3rd floor conference room, 10 am - noon. Call Sansum Health Education (805) 681-8976 or register online.
July 10 Advance Care Planning Workshop, Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, 360 Olive St, 4-6 pm. To register, call the Alliance at (805) 845-5314 or
register online
July 16
Advance Care Planning Workshop,
Sansum Clinic, Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, 2nd Floor,
540 W. Pueblo Street,
1:30-3:00 pm.
July 16 Advance Care Planning Workshop,
Valle Verde Retirement Community, 900 Calle De Los Amigos (Community Room), 3:30 - 5:30pm. To register, call the Alliance at (805) 845-5314 or
register online.
July 17
Advance Care Planning Workshop, Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara St , 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. To r
egister, call the Alliance at (805) 845-5314 or register online.
July 17 Advance Care Planning Workshop, Garden Court, 1116 De La Vina St., 3:00 - 5:00 pm. To register, call the Alliance at (805) 845-5314 or
register online
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How Advance Care Planning Affects End-of-Life Medical Costs and Treatment
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One of the major goals of the Alliance for Living and Dying Well is to help people understand the value and necessity of Advance Care Planning. The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC), a statewide organization, has collected results from studies that show the value of Advance Care Planning when it comes to both treatment and cost of care at the end of life.
Partial results are listed below:
- Patients who had end-of-life discussions preferred medical treatment that focused on pain relief over life-extending therapies. Many had a DNR (do not resuscitate) order.
- End-of-life discussions were NOT associated with patients feeling "depressed," "sad," "terrified," or "worried."
- Those with advance directives often received less aggressive treatment when death is near, and more often die at home.
- Forty-one percent of Medicare patients with an advance directive entered hospice care, compared with 24% of those without a directive. The patients with advance healthcare directives were also much less likely to die in the hospital.
- A large-scale study of cancer patients found that costs were about a third less for patients who had end-of-life discussions than for those who didn't.
- Click here to view the full report
The Alliance offers free help to start the Advance Care Planning process.
Click here to view dates and times for our free monthly workshops.
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Soil instead of Ashes:
Washington State has legalized human compost.
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Washington has become the first state in the nation to pass a law allowing composting as an alternative to burial or cremation of human remains. On May 21, 2019, Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill legalizing human composting in the state of Washington. The bill will go into effect in May of next year.
Katrina Spade, shown above, is CEO of a Recompose, a human composting company and has been working with state agencies to ensure safety of the process. She estimates the cost of a composted burial at $5,000, much less than traditional burial.
Click here to listen to a WBUR Public Radio podcast describing the philosophy and methods related to this process.
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T E D T A L K:
What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living
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The hardest part of my cancer experience began once the cancer was gone," says author Suleika Jaouad. In this fierce, funny, wisdom-packed talk, she challenges us to think beyond the divide between "sick" and "well," asking: How do you begin again and find meaning after life is interrupted?
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Grief Walk and Talk
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? Join this
easy-paced walking group that provides informal support as people walk together through grief. You'll be guided by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care.
Dates: Every Friday in July, starting July 5.
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: 505 E. Montecito St, Santa Barbara
Contact: Dairine at (805) 690 6201 Call to Register.
Guided Meditation in"Chris Kallmyer: Ensemble."
Gael Belden, educator with UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, will lead a group meditation and mindfulness experience in the museum.
Date: Wednesday, July 13, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Cost:
free of charge; registration required
Understanding Dementia Class
Sansum Clinic offers this free monthly class to assist patients and families in understanding dementia.
Topics may include:
- Driving and dementia
- Better communication with dementia patients
- Moving to a care facility
- Disaster preparation
- Preparing for a hospital stay
- Home modifications for dementia care
- Traveling with a dementia patient
- Financial preparations for dementia care
Date: Thursday, July 18 4:30 - 6:00 pm
Location: Sansum Clinic, Pesetas Lane Clinic
Cost: free of charge
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