Membership Benefits - CaringAdvocates.org

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Benefits from becoming a Member of Caring Advocates

Every membership in Caring Advocates includes storing the latest versions of all your Advance Care Planning forms with a national registry. In the United Kingdom, where Living Wills rule, the only form you definitely need to refuse treatment is a Natural Dying—Living Will. Designed to be a specific, comprehensive, and clear and convincing expression of your end-of-life preferences, it can be an effective way A) to eliminate unending, unbearable pain and suffering, and B) to avoid lingering in Advanced Dementia, with its huge burdens to patients and others. To request treatment, two combined forms are recommended: the Natural Dying Advance Directive/Natural Dying Physician's Orders, to which the Consent Form for Relief of Unbearable Suffering by Palliative Sedation can be attached.

In the United States, patients' end-of-life wishes can meet a powerful opposition to Natural Dying. To overcome potential future challenges and obstacles, we recommend two additional forms: the Natural Dying Agreement and the Natural Dying Affidavit. Together, all these forms constitute the Plan Now, Die Later—Ironclad Strategy.

Storing retrievable forms in a national registry means you will not need to send new copies to all your physicians, proxies, and loved ones every time you add or modify a form. Authorized people will always receive a download or FAX of all your most recent revisions. How will Emergency Medical Personnel, Physicians and others know where to retrieve your forms? There are two ways: a wallet card is included with every membership, and as a member, you can order a wearable medallion.

Members at every level will receive a short pamphlet that clearly explains: 1) the difference between a PERSON you designate now to make medical decisions for you... versus a FORM you complete now to express your Known Wishes—if someday, you are mentally unable; 2) guidelines on how to select this important person; and 3) what you can do now so this person can use the form effectively work to overcome obstacles in the future. This approach embraces the goal of Advance Care Planning:

To make sure others will honor your Known Wishes.

Additional benefits vary according to the level of membership. (It is always possible to upgrade your membership, as indicated below.)

Level of member	Cost	BENEFITS
Basic	$50 for the first year; then, $30 per year.	Membership at the "Basic Level" is the most economical, ala cart way to become a member of Caring Advocates. The first year fee of $50 includes your initial registration in a national registry, as explained above. The fee to renew from year two on, is $30 per year. You will also receive a wallet card with relevant information, and yearly update reminders. If you decide to purchase a Natural Dying Medallion or a DNR Medallion, this piece of “alert jewelry” will be engraved with the toll-free number and web address of your national registry. The Basic Membership entitles you to a 10% discount on the print version of My Way Cards, and on all print versions of books purchased from the Caring Advocates web site—if you buy them either when you join initially when you renew your annual membership. If someday you want to receive a Thirst Reducing Aid Kit, Caring Advocates will provide one at our cost. (Currently, it is about $75.)
Regular	$100 for the first year; $30 per year thereafter.	This is our most popular level. It includes all of the "Basic Membership" benefits PLUS: Your choice of one book: Peaceful Transitions: Plan Now, Die Later—Ironclad Strategy or Peaceful Transitions: Stories of Success and Compassion, (both 2nd Ed, 2011); and Your choice of a deck of My Way Cards or a deck of Natural Dying Living Will Cards—the easy way to create your own personalized Natural Dying—Living Will. A few days after you send the results of your "sorting decisions" to Caring Advocates, you will receive your personalzied Living Will. Note: Caring Advocates will send you a notice that indicates what portion of this Membership fee may be considered tax-deductible.
Deluxe	$250	A prudent choice for those who want to make sure others will honor their Known Wishes. Membership at this level includes all the benefits of the "Regular Membership" PLUS: You will receive two more books: *The BEST WAY* to Say Goodbye: A Legal Peaceful Choice at the End of Life, and the companion book or combined book of Peaceful Transitions, and a Natural Dying Medallion engraved with your selection of urgent wishes. You will also receive all our recommended forms, which a non-clinical staff person of Caring Advocates will review for completeness. Membership at this level includes a minimum of one half-hour of professional counseling**. The total cost depends on how much professional time you need. It may range between $250 and $700.
Premium	Determined on an individual basis	Our most comprehensive service is appropriate for A) patients with early dementia or any other condition that might open the door to a later challenge that the patient did not possess the ability to make medical decisons when engaged in Advance Care Planning; and B) others who want professional advice as they complete this task to reduce or eliminate the intensity and duration of end-of-life pain and suffering. Memberships at this level include two or more hours of an interview by a Caring Advocates Planning Professional. Your interview will be memorialized by an audio or video recording. The professional will assess your mental capacity to make end-of-life medical decisions and express his/her opinion regarding whether you possessed capacity for this task. If your personal situation requires, the professional can recommend additional documents be added to your "ironclad strategy."
MEMBERSHIP UPGRADES: Yes, you can upgrade your membership. You can even upgrade a "readership" to a "membership"—if, for example, you previously purchased a book or a deck of My Way Cards. Call us at 800 647 3223 to discuss your particular situation and wishes. IMPORTANT NOTE: Only members of Caring Advocates can request that we send a Natural Dying Physician's Orders form to their personal physician. Each member's form has an Unique Identifying Number (UIN). Caring Advocates does not distribute useable forms to the public for an important reason: we insist on professional oversight for their use. You can, however, download evaluation copies of these forms from this website. (See below.) How to pay: You can click a button above and then use almost any CREDIT CARD with PayPal, even if you do not have a PayPal account. The process is fast and free to you, and considered safe and secure. PayPal's stated policy is not to share your information with any third party or company. Note: As a non-proft organization, Caring Advocates will try to work with everyone, regardless of the ability to pay. All contributions will help those with more limited resources and will further our educational and research missions to help individuals and families experience peaceful transitions. Note to tax advisors: The value of books and cards received for personal use, and the value of the hour(s) of consultation, are not likely to be considered tax-deductible. Caring Advocates was established in March, 2000, as Life Transitions Foundation. It is recognized as a 501(c)(3) public charitable organization. Its name changed to Caring Advocates in 2005. Checks can be sent via US Postal Service to Caring Advocates, 2730 Argonauta Street, Carlsbad, CA 92009. Stocks and bonds can be transferred to Caring Advocates, a California corporation. (Call us for account information, or to send us an e-check.)

Click on the image above to download evaluation copies of two forms for Natural Dying: Natural Dying Advance Directive and Physician's Orders to Permit Natural Dying. For an evaluation copy and more information about the Natural Dying—Living Will, click here: My Way Cards.