Washington End of Life Consensus Coalition
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Newsletter
About us
Mission and vision statements
Values
Leadership
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News
Family-directed home funerals the focus of the 2008 Washington End of Life Coalition Fall Conference
A fascinating presentation on family-directed home funerals was the keynote presentation at the WEOLCC Fall Conference, Friday, November 21 at the Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport.
Char Barrett, a licensed funeral director and midwife, explained the new (old) concept of family-directed home funerals, a profoundly different approach to funerals that extends the loving care families experience through hospice and allows families the time to work through their grief as they care for their loved one for the last time.
Included in her talk was an introduction to the concept of environmentally conscious burials, or ‘green burials,' which was addressed during a breakout session following her presentation. Other breakout sessions at the conference included the topics of child grief, creation of legacy, the POLST program, and palliative care during a natural disaster/pandemic.
If you attended the conference, and/or are a Coalition member, keep an eye out for an upcoming e-newsletter which will have more details from the conference. Not a member? Email Graham Short and join today!
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End-of-life documents can now be registered online in Washington state
Most people have clear ideas of their end-of-life preferences, but few share these with family and physicians. The Washington State Living Will Registry is designed to preserve Washington State residents’ final wishes. A living will (also known as a health care directive) gives you the power to record your most important medical decisions in case you are unable to communicate them later. People of all ages should have a living will. The Living Will Registry can also record other end of life documents, including a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment form (POLST), and Mental Health Directives. Whatever end of life documents you choose, by recording them using the Washington State Living Will Registry, your family members will be comforted knowing that your treatment choices are up-to-date and accurate.
Create a complete record of your wishes
The Washington State Living Will Registry includes the following (click on the link for more information about that particular end of life document):
Sign up today
Registering online is easy and free. Once registration is complete, you will receive a unique registration number. Only authorized health care personnel can access your living will. You can access your living will at any time and will automatically be reminded annually to update your living will documents if needed.
Take charge of your life and document your decisions at www.doh.wa.gov/livingwill or call 1.800.525.0127 today.
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Newsletter
Read the October 2008 issue of the WEOLCC newsletter. [PDF]
Archived newsletters:
September 2007
March 2007
April 2006
November 2005
May 2005
To receive the Coalition's quarterly newsletter, contact Graham Short at (206) 956-3633.
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About us
The Washington End of Life Consensus Coalition (WEOLCC) began its work in June 1997. While acknowledging that effecting change in our families, communities, and health care institutions will require long-term vision and effort, the Coalition believes that efforts both immediate and long range need to be brought to bear to significantly improve care for the dying. The Coalition will annually revisit its goals and its work toward them to ensure that it is responding to short-range needs in care for the dying while allowing its long-range work to evolve, as end-of-life care itself evolves.
Membership of the WEOLCC is a broad-based cross-section of individuals and organizations across the state interested in bettering end of life care. Coalition members meet once a year at the WEOLCC annual meeting, usually in the fall, where the course of action for the upcoming year is determined. The Steering Committee of the WEOLCC meets quarterly to create an action plan for reaching the goals set forth by the Coalition.
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Vision and Mission Statements
Vision
Our vision is a community where people are empowered to make knowledgeable choices regarding their end of life that are known, respected, and honored.
Mission
Our mission to promote caring conversations about living and dying well within all communities across Washington state.
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Values statement
- We foster conversation to build common ground, increase understanding and collaboration, reduce polarization, and increase open honest discussion where everyone's diverse perspective is honored.
- We value the development of rich relationships that support leadership and facilitate networking for professionals and lay people involved in/working with serious illness and end of life issues.
- We believe the end of life is a natural important life cycle event.
- We value helping patients and families live the best life they can until they die.
- We believe that patients, families and communities should be empowered to choose care based on their values and goals.
- We believe in building diverse coalitions that create consensus in ways that improve the end of life experience for every person in the state of Washington.
- We believe that everyone in the state of Washington should have access to excellent end of life care.
- We support access to hospice and palliative care for all citizens in the state of Washington.
- We celebrate the successful events that have gone before in end of life care.
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Join the WEOLCC!
To join the Washington End of Life Consensus Coalition, just contact Coalition staff member Graham Short at (206) 956-3633 and ask to join. It's a simple as that.
Members will receive the WEOLCC newsletter (via email or mail), as well as email minutes from the quarterly steering committee meetings.
Coalition members will be invited to participate in a yearly WEOLCC annual meeting, typically in the fall, where the direction of the Coalition's work for the next year will be determined.
Other opportunities to participate will be detailed in the newsletter and quarterly steering committee minutes.
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WEOLCC Steering Committee
Sharmon Figenshaw, RN (Chair)
Anne Koepsell, RN (Vice Chair)
Stuart Farber, MD (Chair Emeritus)
Janet Abrams, PsyD
Iyatunde Akunyun
Sally Denton, RN
Therese Johnson, LMHC
Pete McGough, MD
Jeff Mero
Robb Miller
Representative Jim Moeller
Donna Oiland
William O. Robertson, MD
Jim Shaw MD
Pat Thibaudeau
Linda Wrede-Seaman, MD
Graham Short (staff)
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