Making your end-of-life wishes known

When I was in the hospital about five years ago, wondering if I would ever emerge and be able to come home again, a hospital aide entered my room one morning, smiled broadly, and asked me, "Do you have a living will or an advance directive?"

Fairly groggy from all the medications I'd been given, I panicked at the directness of her question. I hardly knew how to answer her, although I somehow sensed the issue was an important one. I remember referring the aide to my wife Ginny, because I wasn't at all comfortable thinking about my will (I didn't yet have one), and I certainly didn't want to talk about my death, either. After all, I was only 60. Maybe later. I wasn't planning to die until I was at least 75. I'd think about it all. . . later.

Maybe because so many of us feel the same way about those days ahead of us, when we might not be able to care for ourselves or even think clearly about our death, we keep putting off thinking about our will and what help we want when we can no longer care for ourselves. The trick is to think about and act on these matters while we're still alert and able, so that we have our future firmly in our own hands.

Nevada lawyer Kendall Vickers will be at the Nevada Senior Center/ Neal Center, corner of Hunter and Main, at 1 p.m., April 27, to explain what "living wills" and "advance directives" are. People in attendance will be free to ask any questions they might have, and that includes questions they may think are "dumb."

This meeting is about "making your wishes known for end-of-life care."

Information will be given out to each attendee and advance directives and living wills will be available. Guests are also warmly invited and there is no charge for the meeting or the materials.

By the time you leave this meeting, you'll feel a great sense of relief.