Last Aid Tips

POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH CARE AND CALIFORNIA NATURAL DEATH ACT DIRECTIVE now conjoined [available at BAFS]. Persons may want to determine the specific efforts that are or are not to be made to keep death at bay. It is important to have these documents handy, e.g., if paramedics are called so no uncalled for efforts will be undertaken. It is also important to have the cover of your medical record index where these documents are to be found.

UNEXPECTED DEATH: If the decedant has a physician, call and proceed as directed. If there is no doctor, and paramedics emergency services are called, (also the police) the death will likely become a coroner’s case. Be prepared for removal charges from the coroner. [NOTE: See NOTE below]

EXPECTED DEATH: The attending physician attests to the death, fills out his part of the death certificate (the mortician will complete the death certificate and gets the signature of the doctor, and submits the paperwork to the health department of the county (or in certain cases, of the city) in which the death occurred. [NOTE: If a doctor has seen a patient within 20 days of death (60 days if the coroner approves) it is legal for the doctor to sign the death certificate. [NOTE: California law allows your survivors to take care of most death services, but you have to plan ahead. Check with BAFS.]

DEATH CERTIFICATES: These forms should be readily available to anyone so that the information needed can be readied in timely fashion (typically doctors have a supply). State health departments issue these forms; city and county health departments should make them available upon request. When you work with a mortician, the mortuary furnishes the form.

The back of the BAFS instruction form asks for death certificate information. When you send a copy of your instructions to the contracting mortuary you have chosen, they will have the non-medical information needed to complete the death certificate.

You need to consider how many death certificate you need. Any of your fiduciary arrangements, e.g., bank accounts, investments, insurance, social security - anything to do with money needs a properly certified (embossed with the state seal) copy of the death certificate (DC).

Whether survivors undertake to do the death certificate paperwork and submission, or have a mortician do it, you should know that all involved, including the doctor, must be meticulous. Health departments are exacting, and rightly so.

MAKING PLANS AND LIKELY SURVIVORS: It is important to deal with the practical matters of dying and death. Death is certain, we just don’t know when, where, and how. People have a hard time dealing with death, although it is an essential part of life. We would be in real trouble if we were immortal.

Most people want to spare family and friends as much as possible whatever ordeal attaches to death. The pivotal thing to do is to make a list of things you want done and don’t want done. Then let family and friends know with an emphasis on knowing ahead of time (mostly, years ahead of time) what the practical steps are, who’s taking them, that money is put aside in a ‘last bills’ account (there are always last bills - we don’t die in timely, well-rounded-off fashion. We should leave as few practical - loose ends as possible without trussing ourselves and others up prematurely.

For these practical concerns, when you have problems talking them over with family and friends, check in with your BAFS Office. People plan ahead and comparison-shop for joyful things like appliances, cars, houses - the practical concerns attending death services and goods should be thoughtfully planned for.

KEEP A LAST AID KIT IN THE HOUSE AND ON THE ROAM: We live in a highly monetized society. Many situations require money and plans for its use to purpose. A good way to proceed is to make a list of a few of the most important things for which money is essential. Three items people still spend the most on as one-time expenses are house, car, death. There are other things which add up over a lifetime: food, transportation, entertainment, education.

Putting money into long-term interest bearing accounts to big expenditure purpose is the best way to assure fulfillment of that purpose.

If you discuss once a year, say at an annual gathering of family and friends, plans for how these savings are to be spent, everyone will have the same information. This will probably reduce argument, at least at a time of crisis (which is not a good time to negotiate in any case.)

Comments and questions are welcome at BAFS, POB 264, Berkeley CA 94701; 510-841-6653; email info@bafsweb.org; WEB http://www.bafsweb.org.

| Home | Why BAFS?  | The Four Plans | Public-Interest WEBsite Links | Volunteering | Subscriptions |