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Serious & Terminal Illness Planning

Our research revealed this was the most important and unaddressed issue for the majority of people.  So we designed this clear and specific planning service to give you some peace of mind at a time when there will be many other things to think about.

We offer you the opportunity to have an experienced and sensitive practitioner who can listen to your needs and concerns.  From this we can produce advice to support your wishes as well as provide a safe space to discuss and share.  The extent to which you use this combined service is your choice.

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Documents that are both legally binding and ones that support the legally binding documents can be prepared.

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You may consider a Living Will or sometimes it is called an Advanced Directive because you are indicating your wishes in advance.

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We can also provide mediation to help reach acceptance within a family or caregivers of difficult decisions being made, in advance, by you whether or not you know what is coming.  You may book one or more meetings to plan and discuss and/or book a mediation if required.

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An Advance Decision (Living Will) allows you to record medical treatments that you decide you would not want to be given in the future in certain circumstances. You may become unable to make or communicate decisions for yourself at that time. So an advance decision to refuse treatment is sometimes called a Living Will or an Advance Directive.  If you are refusing treatment that would be life sustaining then you must make this a legally binding document.

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An Advance Statement allows you to record your wishes, feelings, beliefs and values.  This is if you become ill and find it difficult, or its not possible, for you to make decisions that need care or medical treatment so that all these things can be taken into account.

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An Advance Decision only covers refusals of medical treatment, whereas an Advance Statement can include any information that you feel is important in relation to your health or care which may include your faith, beliefs or values.

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Can I have both an Advance Statement and an Advance Decision (Living Will)?

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Yes.  If you’ve made an Advance Decision then it’s a good idea to make an Advance Statement as it helps your healthcare team to get a better understanding of your wishes when they need to make decisions in your best interests. This means that if you’re in a situation that isn’t specified in your Advance Decision, the doctors treating you are more likely to be able to make a decision that reflects what you want.  It also takes what is likely to be a tremendous burden off your next of kin as doctors and caregivers will turn to them to make decisions and choices.

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It will be best if you have discussed the details and options with your doctor first.  When you feel you have enough information we can look at making the necessary documents and of course you can always refer back to your doctor in the process if needed.

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The Advance Statement will be included with your Living Will as we believe it is important to include this.  Planning surrounding your Living Will is included in its cost. (subject to the extent of client requirements).

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You will also consider whether you need a Health Power of Attorney.  Do you have someone that you trust to make decisions about things that you have not thought of or prepared for?  It will be very important to do the documents in the right order so that a Power of Attorney cannot override your wishes.  To further strengthen the guidance to a Power of Attorney the new service of including Isobel's Conditions will also be considered.  Isobel's story

 

A Health Power of Attorney can only be used where there is no capacity to make your own decisions.  Any periods of lucidity or capacity will still allow you to make your own decisions.  If the situation arises however that there is no capacity, you will want the comfort of the knowledge that someone you trust and have already guided in your accompanying documents and discussions is looking after your interests.   Registering your Power of Attorney can take a long time at a time when it is very much needed.  We will consider registering it ready for when or if it is needed.

Within your planning, you may also like to consider the Right to Stay and Die at Home planning.

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If you are not ill, but wishing to prepare for the possible event, then it will be a straight forward process using your Living Will and Advance Statement.  We will consider use of the Letter of Wishes which often accompanies a Will which usually includes other details such as your funeral arrangements.  You may be as brief or detailed as you wish.  This can always be updated with further detail at any time.  This will now prepare you in the event of unforseen circumstances.

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If you have been diagnosed with a serious illness you may be wishing to prepare. This will likely involve discussions with all of your carers regarding care and treatment before it can be recorded in documentation.  You will reach agreement as to what can, and maybe cannot, be done.  The Right to Stay and Die at Home plan is detailed within two documents.  This way you can be sure everything possible has been done to carry out your wishes.

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You must review and update an Advance Decision / Living Will.  If it gets too out of date the medical profession will not trust that this is still your wish.  If you wish to change the contents it is advisable to write, sign and date a new document, saying it overrides any previous document.  To amend a refusal of life sustaining treatment, you must make the change in front of a witness who must sign and date the document in front of you.  Destroy the old version.  Make sure the whereabouts and existence of it is known and lodge a copy with your GP.

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You can withdraw a Living Will at any time either verbally or in writing.  It is safer to put it in writing and ensure the Living Will is then destroyed.  Tipi Wills can store your letter amending and also destroy a Living Will for you.  People with copies should also destroy it.

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Of course within both these processes you will need to review or create a Will.  We will consider your position in a holistic way.  This will include whether there are minors, people or property you wish to protect and also the consequences on any beneficiaries, for example whether you have made gifts within the last 7 or 14 years and whether any beneficiaries are minors or parents.  When you are satisfied you have covered all eventualities, we will prepare your Will and the required accompanying documents.

Once you have completed this process and put together your documents, had discussions with healthcare professionals, family and friends, often it can be quite emotional as well as a great sense of relief that a burden has been lifted. 

Be in control.  Be Certain

Trained by and Member of both Society of Wills Writers and Estate Planners & Society of  Mediators

Supports living your best life

TIPI WILLS PICTORIAL SNAPSHOT

"A house full of worries, a house full of solutions"

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