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Main Street Monthly 905 Old Cherokee Road, Lexington, SC 29072 • P: 803-358-7214 • www.strattonreynolds.com
NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2022
Health Care Forms in South Carolina
What Do I Need?
Chasity Stratton from our firm recently did an interview with Kay Lawrence, who is in nursing. Below is a transcript of their interview, but we also have the full video on our website at StrattonReynolds.com. Chasity Stratton: Hi, I’m Chasity Stratton. I am one of the managing partners here at Stratton and Reynolds, and I’m here today with my friend Kay Lawrence, who is a retired nurse. And we’re here to talk about advanced directives. It’s always good to see you. Kay Lawrence: You too. I’m here to add some perspective from the health care industry in terms of how advanced directives actually affect people and some of my experiences. Chasity Stratton: Wonderful. Well, one of the things, at least on the legal side, that we see often is a confusion about what an advanced directive really even is. And so I think that’s probably where we should start. The terminology “advanced directive” obviously is just any type of legal document, if you will, where you’re making plans for future health care needs. Here in South Carolina, we actually only have two statutory advanced directives. One is your living will, which is actually called a declaration for desire of a natural death. And the second one is our statutory health care power of attorney here in South Carolina. Anything outside of that — so you may hear about things like the five wishes form, or there are certainly forms that are geared toward those that have mental health issues or cognitive issues. Those are not statutory forms in South Carolina. I am certainly not one of those people who’s going to preach that they’re inherently bad. It’s just if you want something that all of the doctor’s offices and hospitals are going to accept here in South Carolina, we really are looking at those two statutory forms. We actually do not believe that you need both. The living will — that declaration for desire of a natural death — predated the health care power of attorney, and it only allowed you to make decisions about do you want life support or do you not want life support. It’s very black and white. Several years later, the South Carolina legislature adopted our statutory health care power of attorney. In that document, you can actually name agents who will make medical decisions for you
if you are incapacitated. In addition to that, you can limit or direct your agents’ decision-making authority by choosing things like do you want your organs to be donated. It does include those living will questions about life support and about tube feeding. And it gives you the option to make those decisions for yourself or allow your agent to make those decisions in the future. Practically, Kay, tell me a little bit about what your experience has been with those advanced directives. Kay Lawrence: So, I spent, almost 40 years in nursing, mostly in critical care situations, and I’ve seen a variety of situations. One of the most heartbreaking is the elderly parent who is unable to speak for themselves, who needs advanced health care. They need a ventilator, they need medication drips, they need tube feedings to stay alive. And their children are coming, sometimes adult children from out of state. You know, we all have family situations, but their children are trying to figure out what would my mother really want in this situation? What does my father really want in this situation? So, I’ve seen a lot of that, and it can be actually very heartbreaking to watch families try to determine this. I happen to have a personal experience with my parents. They were very specific in their advanced directives about, and I’m probably using the legal terms wrong, so go with her for legal, but they were very specific about
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DON’T GO BROKE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
4 Steps to Creating a Christmas Budget
Shop for Christmas on a budget.
Before you head to the mall or add items to your shopping cart online, you want to ensure you have enough money to cover your monthly expenses and buy your loved ones Christmas presents. You may feel overwhelmed about your finances and how you will manage to buy gifts. But if you create a Christmas budget, you won’t break the bank!
1. Look at last-minute sales: Tons of retailers will offer holiday sales as we get closer to Christmas. So be on the lookout for stores that mark prices down as St. Nick prepares for his journey. 2. Recycle gift cards: If you received a gift card to a store that you never used (or forgot about), re-gift it this year! Just be sure the card hasn’t expired. 3. Go thrifting: You can find great gifts at your local thrift store. Depending on where you go, you can get clothes, books, silverware, furniture, gadgets, and more. Christmas shopping can be stressful, but by creating a budget and sticking to it, you will survive this holiday season like a pro.
How do you create a Christmas budget?
1. Write down your monthly income: The first thing you want to do is tally up how much money you bring in each month. This lets you know how much money you have before you take out your expenses. 2. Write down your monthly expenses: You want to tally up the total amount of regular monthly costs, including housing, utilities, groceries, and internet. This also includes cars, credit cards, insurance, and other monthly payments. Be sure to add any streaming or subscription fees to this total. 3. Find out how much money you have left over: Subtract your total expenses from your monthly income. The number you get will be the money you have left over for discretionary spending, such as dinner out, a concert, or Christmas presents. But make sure you leave some wiggle room for any unexpected costs. 4. Plan out how much you want to spend on Christmas gifts: Write out whom you want to get gifts for and how much you want to spend. Track your spending as you go to ensure you don’t overspend or forget to buy someone a gift.
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what they wanted. And the really important part of this was they talked to me and my sisters about this, so we knew, we understood what they wanted and why they wanted it. So that brings us to the other part, I think, of the issue. You guys are the ones to ask about the legal forms, and you can definitely help people lay out what they want and make sure that it has a good chance of being done legally. But I think the conversation with your family members is just so, so important. And I hope that people will start to do that a little bit more. Chasity Stratton: I could not agree more. I think the legal documents are obviously an incredibly important aspect of planning, but part of that is having that hard conversation. And so often parents don’t want to sit down and talk to their kids about it because it’s difficult. And, you know, oftentimes the family’s only together over the holidays, and they don’t want to ruin the holidays by talking about it. But I will tell you, being able to pull up that conversation with Mom and Dad and go, “No wait, Mom really did say yes, she had the form that says this, but she also told me she does not want life support under these circumstances.” Just gives your family that peace to be able to say it’s okay to let somebody go.
Another form that I’m sure you guys see in probably the clinical aspect is, of course, a do not resuscitate order or DNR. We have questions about this all the time from clients. I only mention it because when we’re talking about advanced directives, clients do ask us about DNRs. I want to make sure that it’s very clear that, first of all, the DNR is a medical form. You can only get it through your doctor’s office or through your hospital, and it talks about whether or not you want to be resuscitated. We do not provide those to clients, but certainly if that’s something that’s important to you, you need to talk to your doctor about getting that in place. And there are certain rules about where it should be displayed and who should have access to it. Obviously, ask those important questions if that’s something that you feel like you are interested in pursuing. Kay Lawrence: Absolutely that helps to clear up that one particular situation and then, you know, consult a good attorney about all of those gray areas in between. And very importantly, have conversations with your family. Chasity Stratton: That’s right. If you have any questions about advanced directives, health care powers of attorney, living wills, or just estate planning in general, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
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The holidays are rapidly approaching, and soon, we’ll share laughs while enjoying the festivities with our loved ones. Before the celebrations begin, you must prepare your home for visitors, especially if they stay overnight. It can be stressful whether it’s your in-laws, best friends, or distant cousins coming to stay with you. You want to leave a good impression, but how do you ensure everyone’s needs are met, including yours? Here are three tips for setting yourself up for a successful holiday, regardless of who stays with you. Stock up on your guests’ favorites. Have you ever stayed with someone who didn’t have extra food for their guests? Don’t put your guests in this situation. Load up your pantry, refrigerator, and cupboards with your guests’ favorite foods and drinks. If you don’t know what they are, ask ahead of their visit! Your guests will appreciate your conscientious gesture and have a much more enjoyable time if they can eat their favorites while visiting. Prepare a guest room. If your guests are staying with you, you need to prepare somewhere for them to sleep. Make sure you make up the bed, have plenty of pillows and blankets on hand, and provide adequate closet space for their clothes. Even if they aren’t staying in a traditional bedroom, their sleeping area should still be ready when they arrive. Clear off a table for them to use as a nightstand and put sheets on the couch or mattress where they’ll sleep. Use real dishes. When we have company over for a meal, especially a large gathering, it’s usually easier to use plastic or paper options — saves on cleanup, too! The holidays are not necessarily the time for this shortcut. Break out the fine china if you have it, or use regular dishes for your guests. It’s okay for the kids to have paper plates, but if you want to make a good impression on visiting adults, nicer dishes will dress up the table setting and meal. Impress the Guests With These Holiday Hosting Tips
Whoville Roast Beast
Inspired by TasteMade.com
INGREDIENTS
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1/4 cup brown sugar
2 heads of garlic, halved
1 tbsp paprika
2 bay leaves
2 tsp black pepper
4 thyme sprigs
2 tsp salt
2 rosemary sprigs 1/2 cup beef broth 1 12-oz bottle of stout beer 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 5-lb bone-in rib-eye roast
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3 tbsp butter
DIRECTIONS
1.
Preheat oven to 375 F. 2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, pepper, salt, and olive oil. 3. Place roast in a baking pan and coat with spice mixture. Let marinate uncovered in refrigerator for 1 hour. 4. Place pan on stove over high heat. Brown the roast on all sides, then add butter, garlic, and herbs. 5. When butter melts, add broth, beer, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. 6. Transfer pan to oven. Braise until meat is tender, up to 2 hours. 7. Remove roast from pan and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, strain pan juices and put back into pan and boil until reduced by half. When finished, slice roast and serve with pan sauce.
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Inside this Issue
How Do Advanced Directives Work? PAGE 1 Christmas Shop on a Budget PAGE 2 Whoville Roast Beast PAGE 3 Impress Visitors This Holiday Season PAGE 3 Best Christmas Tree Attractions to Visit PAGE 4
Lighting Up Life One Pine Needle at a Time
Travel-Worthy Christmas Trees
As the holiday season approaches, the twinkling lights and spectacular Christmas tree attractions are always a must-see! Here are the best travel destinations to catch a glimpse of one of the pillars of the holidays. The Rockefeller Center Tree in New York City The Rockefeller Center tree is located just west of 5th Avenue from 47th through 51st streets in New York City and dates back to the Depression era, with the first tree placed there in 1931. This beloved tourist attraction draws thousands yearly with its dazzling lights and grand scale. To even be considered a contender for this role, a tree must be at least 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide! The National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. This American favorite has long been a tradition. Every year, the ceremony begins with live performances by musical artists, and an annual highlight is when the president delivers a message of peace. President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to light the National Christmas Tree in 1923. The tree was 48 feet high and decorated with 2,500 red, white, and green electric bulbs. A local choir and a quartet from the U.S. Marine Band performed as the tree was lit.
The Coeur d’Alene Resort Tree in Idaho Also known as the World’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree, this grand fir holds the record at 162 feet tall. It is festively decorated with more than 40,000 lights that twinkle in time to the music of “Jingle Bells,” and the tree is crowned with a 10-foot-wide star! The Biltmore Christmas Tree in North Carolina This majestic 55-foot Norway spruce tree is in front of the Biltmore Estate and lit as guests make their way down the path of luminaries. With ornaments and miles of garland, this tree is selected for the Banquet Hall each year for guests from all over to see. Some are lucky enough to live near or in a city with a magnificent tree, but if you don’t, consider traveling to one of these locations to enjoy the holiday with your loved ones.
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