Upcoming Events: End of Life Doula Town Hall; Advance Care Planning Options, Rights & Strategies

Spring is around the corner, and with it comes new new beginnings and new opportunities. We have two upcoming events that we hope will spark conversation, reflection, and action. We have included a description of each below, and we hope you will join us.

Soon, we will announce a new exciting resource, so please stay tuned!

Virtual Town Hall for End of Life Doulas

March 15th from 6:30 PM-7:30 PM ET & March 23rd from 2:00 PM-3:00 PM ET

Register Here (free)

Come take a breath, connect with the New York end of life doula community, and share your thoughts on what resources you need to best feel supported in your work. End of Life Choices New York is hosting two death doula town halls, and you can register for one or both.

This space will be co-lead by Naomi Edmondson. Naomi Edmondson (she/her) is a Grief Guide, Breathworker, space holder, and Black Queer Femme with all the feelings. The loss of a close mother figure is what brought her to deathcare, her training with Going with Grace, and the beginning of her time as a Hospice Volunteer. The death of her mother brought her to Grief care, her training as a Grief Guide, and what it really means to lose a parent. She provides safer, gentle spaces for conversations around death, loss, grief, and everything in between.

If you are an end-of-life doula in the New York area who is looking to engage in a community conversation, we hope to see you there!

Webinar: Maintaining Autonomy Over Your Healthcare in Later Life

April 14th, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM ET

Register Here (Pay what you wish; $10 donation recommended)

All of us face the possibility of incapacity in later life and decisions about our health care may need to be made by a trusted family member or friend.

Will your representative – called the health care agent – have the legal authority to speak for you? How will your agent know what your wishes are? How do you make sure your wishes, as expressed by your agent, will be honored by your physicians? Suppose there are disagreements among your family regarding medical decisions be resolved? Does the law allow you to refuse medical treatment that may be life sustaining?

Join us for a webinar with experts in the field of end of life care and law to discuss these and other issues concerning your rights, and strategies to enforce those rights. This event is co-hosted with Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC.

Speakers:
David C. Leven, JD, was the Executive Director of End of Life Choices New York from 2002 until July 1, 2016. A leading advocate for patients and an expert on advance care planning, patient rights, palliative care and end-of- life issues, David has played a key role in having legislation introduced and enacted in New York to improve pain, palliative and end-of- life care, including the Palliative Care Information Act. A graduate of the University of Rochester and Syracuse University College of Law, he is the recipient of numerous awards including the Public Interest Law Award of the New York State Bar Association, Public Interest Law Committee.

Peter J. Strauss, JD, practices trusts and estate law and has a special interest in issues involving the rights of persons with respect to health care treatment at the end of life. A member of the EOLCNY Board of Directors, he has been included in The Best Lawyers in America (2007 to 2014) and in New York Super Lawyers – Metro Edition (2007 to 2015). Best Lawyers named him “New York City Elder Law Lawyer of the Year” for 2012. Peter is Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School, and director of the Guardianship Clinic, which he founded in 2003. Peter earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his bachelor’s degree, with honors, from Bowdoin College.

Our staff remains committed to answering your questions and we are happy to take your calls or inquiries. Please call us at 212-726-2010 or email us at info@eolcny.org.

End of Life Choices New York seeks to expand choice at the end of life, respecting every individual’s wishes, and striving for the best possible quality of life and a peaceful death. We depend on your support to do this work. If you are able to help, please donate to make a tax-deductible contribution.