Visibility Matters
Beyond Five Wishes: The Sixth Wish Protects from Being Erased
By Sarah Bahnson , LGBTQI+ Community Liaison
Southern Book Club ; third Wednesday; 2–3:30p; on Zoom Gathering in Himmel Park ; third Saturday; 10–11:30am; in-person Walk and Roll - Enjoy an outdoor activity with friendly people; third Tuesday; time will vary; in-person There are more events each month. Stay tuned in on the website. For those who may be anticipating discrimination from family and/ or caregivers, The Sixth Wish offers protection against discrimination. It allows a person to lay out how they expect to be treated in ways not captured by any other document. Now, Eireanne is the Coordinator for the Advanced Medical Care Planning Program at Southern Arizona Senior Pride. She offers advanced care planning workshops, individual coaching, and hosts meet and complete sessions to help people complete their directives. To learn more visit soazseniorpride.org • Personal grooming care expectations • Correct name and pronouns to be used before one dies as well as on decedent’s end-of-life materials, such as a headstone or printed funeral materials or contact Eireanne Russ at eol@soazseniorpride.org .
On-going events: Registration is required for attendance - soazseniorpride.org GBTQI+ Mens Loss Group ; weekly on Tuesday; 1:30–3pm; in-person Elder Discussion/Support Group ; second Saturday; 1:30–3pm; in-person minority communities, such as: • Who do you not want to be involved in decision-making or care • Culturally specific interventions like Prep, HRT, or gender-related maintenance therapies that does not respect or acknowledge her transition. Knowing that family of origin often has the legal rights in decision-making, this person was concerned that if her family had the power to make choices for her, they would not allow her to continue hormone-replacement therapy (HRT), and would use her birthname, not her legal name, and she would otherwise be open to abuse and discrimination. Eireanne took on the challenge of creating a plan for protecting a legacy likely to be erased by those who have the legal default in end-of-life planning. And that is how The Sixth Wish came to fruition. The Sixth Wish guides users through thinking about some of the more difficult circumstances that arise for
Arizona Senior Pride celebrating, supporting and uniting LGBTQI+ older adults 520-312-8923; info@soazseniorpride.org; soazseniorpride.org All in-person events require masks and vaccinations, bring your card. Russ, while working at Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, was approached by a person who is transgender and has a family of origin If you are a person who has completed advanced directives, you may be familiar with the “Five Wishes,” template. Five Wishes is one of many options designed to help individuals think through things like selecting a Power of Attorney, what kind of medical treatment is wanted or not wanted (CPR, feeding tubes, etc.), pain management, and final words for loved ones. Five Wishes is a great way to start thinking about individual needs and values when it comes to end-of-life issues, and it is a start, not comprehensive. Southern Arizona Senior Pride offers The Sixth Wish, a supplemental advanced care planning document. The Sixth Wish is designed to help people protect themselves from discrimination. Developer, Eireanne
Page 24 | September 2022, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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