27 people came in person, 2 using Zoom. Fawn chaired the meeting. Darshan Stevens gave a presentation, with support and comments from family members Alex, Forest, and Emily. Darshan shared an aspect of her experience leading up to the death of both her mother Jen, and her step-father-in-law Doug. With slides and gorgeous photos, she took us on the roller-coaster…
Many of us imagine we can rely on the medical system when we or our loved ones lose their independence and approach end-of-life. This is a common misunderstanding. Although receiving care when we need it is ideal, there simply aren’t enough long-term care facilities or hospice units in our area for this to be likely to happen. The Campbell River…
In end-of-life planning, there are two main taxes to consider; probate tax and personal income tax. Probate, the subject of a previous article, is a court certification process which requires a list of your assets and their estimated value. The probate tax on estates with a value greater than $50,000 is currently 1.4% of this total value. Personal income tax is paid on your final…
When thinking ahead to their own funeral service, a significant number of people choose “No Flowers, No Funeral, No Fuss”. By requesting no service, you may believe you are sparing your family unnecessary heartache, effort, and expense. You may know people whose lives are already crammed with too many activities, worries, and deadlines, or relatives who will feel obliged to…
Reena Lazar, co-founder of Willow End-of-Life Education and Planning, writes that although death is the one thing in life we’re certain of, most people do everything in their power to avoid thinking about, talking about, let alone preparing for it. The vast majority of people don’t have any documents in place, because they live in a state of death denial,…
Many people are not aware that in British Columbia it is legal to care for a body at home. Family and friends are allowed to sit with, wash, dress, and otherwise tend to the body. They can build a casket, make funeral arrangements, and provide transportation to the cemetery or crematorium. There is no legal requirement to use the services…
Adults with an advancing illness, increasing frailty, or a chronic condition that is life limiting or life threatening may say they’d like ‘no heroic measures’. What does this mean? We always have the right to consent to or refuse health care treatment. However, a situation may arise when we are unable to speak for ourselves. Advance Care Planning is about…
When a person dies in British Columbia, burial or cremation cannot legally take place until the death has been registered with the Vital Statistics Agency. The executor named in the Will is responsible for this (if no Will, then the next of kin). Although it is usual to hire a licensed funeral director to do this and other death-related tasks, the registration…
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of…
A will is a legal document that leaves instructions about what the person making the will wants done with their estate and obligations after they die. Your estate is made up of the property and possessions, also known as the assets, that you own at your death (some exceptions are joint ownership and those with a designated beneficiary). With a…