Living Wills

Senior Solutions of Pinellas County has consistently advocated for planning ahead. Living Wills and End of Life planning is a critical aspect of preparing for the inevitable.

We have strongly urged all of our clients and their responsible parties to record in writing their personal preferences regarding care they will receive when/should/if their bodies can no longer function without tubes or machines for sustenance, and/if/or their brain function prohibits them from speaking for themselves or is incapable of making an informed decision.

Over the past ten years, we in Pinellas County have been acutely aware of the battle waged over an individual who was no longer able to speak for herself. We have witnessed a “worst-case” scenario.

We have experienced a living nightmare between people who have loved someone dearly, and have done their best to uphold the responsibilities they’ve felt they had to the individual.

We have seen how personal preferences can be highjacked by outsiders who have no direct interest in what the individual would have preferred, but have “assumed” they’ve known and have knighted and anointed themselves as “knows” of this persons inner thoughts.

With as much negative commentary on what are commonly referred to as psychic abilities, it’s astounding to see how many “psychics” have come out of the woodwork.

What Senior Solutions of Pinellas County wants the most, is for people to actively participate in planning for their future needs. How you decide to be cared for is a personal decision. You have one life which you are supremely responsible for above all others. Planning ahead with Living Wills and for other End of Life issues is your responsibility to your self. In doing so, you will be honoring those who love you the most.

Senior Solutions of Pinellas County will continue to promote End of Life planning and the use of Living Wills. We will continue to urge individuals to fully educate themselves, to be receptive to dealing with their eventual death, and to accept this ultimate responsibility they have to themselves.

I am hoping that what became a media sensation recently, will have either infuriated you or deeply moved you to the point where you will no longer assume that simply telling someone what you want is adequate. We ALL must write it down and be as specific as possible.

Senior Solutions of Pinellas County additionally urges everyone to consider registering your Living Will through the America Living Will Registry. This final step will ensure that your paperwork is available 24 hrs. a day, 365 days of the year to all who may be involved in your care when you are in a life threatening situation. If a fax machine or internet is available, so are your instructions for care. There will be no waiting for your doctors office to open, and you will not have to wait until your documents can be found and pulled from a file someplace.

* Please visit American Living Will Registry for details.
* Previous Inforamtion on Living Wills