Talking About Death Won't Kill You...

Talking About Death Won’t Kill You...
And May Help You Live More Joyfully

This series, co-hosted by New Hampshire Alliance for End of Life Options, Brookhaven Hospice of NH, and Portsmouth Public Library, will focus on the profound to the practical, helping to demystify and normalize conversations about mortality and death, and what really matters in our lives. The series will cover how to communicate our end of life wishes – a process that evolves over time as our lives change. These events will be held in hybrid format – attend online through Zoom, or in person at the Portsmouth Public Library! Free and open to all.

This series is supported by a grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Find out more about the whole series!

Part 2: Who Do You Trust With Your Life? Who's Trusting You with Theirs?
Wednesday June 8
6:30 – 8 PM

On June 8, join us for Part 2 of our series Talking About Death Won’t Kill You... And May Help You Live More Joyfully, “Who Do You Trust with Your Life? Who's Trusting You with Theirs?”

Who do you want by your side at the end of your life – and what do you want them to know about you? Likewise, what do you need to know to make decisions as a proxy for someone else?

In this session, we’ll focus on the medical power of attorney, also called a health care proxy: the person we legally appoint to speak for us when we can’t speak for ourselves. We’ll consider choosing a health care proxy for ourselves and what is means to be a proxy for others.

Through facilitated discussion in large and small groups we’ll think about the kinds of treatments we may want or not want, considering questions like quality of life versus longevity, what gives us joy, our concerns and our aspirations, and what we might compromise.

Choosing the right proxy may be the most important decision you’ll make in completing your advance directive, the legal document that spells out your medical preferences if you cannot speak for yourself. Because we can never imagine all of the scenarios that may befall us, it may be up to our proxy to interpret what we want. You’re entrusting that person to represent you and your wishes, whether or not they agree with them. You’re trusting their ability and willingness to do so, in what can be a high pressure, confusing, emotionally charged environment where family members, physicians, and others may not be in agreement. And if you are a medical proxy for someone else, they’ve entrusted you with the same.

Yet, far fewer than half of Americans have completed advance directives, meaning they have not named a health care proxy. Many who have an advance directive haven't had good conversations with their proxy and other loved ones about their desires. When the unexpected happens, no one is really prepared. “Who Do You Trust with Your Life? And Who is Trusting You with Theirs?”” will help you begin understand the roles and responsibilities more fully. You’re encouraged to bring your proxy or someone else close to you to the conversation.

We will be joined this evening by one of NH’s leading palliative care physicians, Phil Lawson, MD.

Registration is required.

If attending ONLINE, please register through Eventbrite.

If attending IN PERSON, please register below.