Body & Organ Donation Burial Cremation & Funeral Services Grief Support Groups Hospice/Palliative Care Trust/Probate Administration

By Eva Barrows

After a friend’s mother passed away, she asked me if I had a will in place. She then explained that she wasn’t asking me about the distribution of my assets but about my final wishes.

She appreciated that her mother left her a clear plan, detailing her funeral wishes and even her own obituary. Her instructions gave my friend time to grieve without worrying about what her mother would have wanted.

I thought this was excellent advice. My parents are seniors, and knowing how they want to be remembered would provide peace of mind for them and me.

I did some internet research on how to write your own obituary and record your final wishes. There are many resources on these topics. Legacy.com’s “Funeral Planning Guide” does a comprehensive job outling the end-of-life choices, such as locating important documents and preplanning funeral decisions.

The hardest part was telling my parents, but my mom agreed it was a good idea. I created packets for each of us containing printouts of the guide and information on writing an obituary.

This end-of-life planning prompted my mom to find her life insurance statement, her safe deposit box key, and copies of my parents’ will. Looking at the will, she discovered their assets had changed and their family had grown. Updating the will became a priority.

As we went through the funeral planning checklist, we discovered we all wanted to be cremated, but the way we wanted our ashes handled varied. We entered our individual wishes on our planning guides. We didn’t plan every detail at once, but we did start an important conversation. The planning guide gave us a framework to plan ahead.

End-of-life planning can be an awkward subject to bring up with loved ones, but there is a sense of relief about preparing in advance. Making your wishes known, gives you some level of control over what happens when you are gone and alleviates the burden on those grieving your loss.

It’s never too early to start planning. Eva Barrows is a San

Francisco Peninsula-based freelance writer and editor.

Final Wishes Index …

body & organ donation

Brain Support Network, Inc.

650-814-0848 P.O. Box 7264 Menlo Park, CA 94026

California Transplant Donor

Network

1611 Telegraph Ave., Ste. 600 Oakland, CA

UC San Francisco Willed Body

Program

San Francisco, CA

burial, cremation & funeral services

Crippen and Flynn Woodside

Chapel

crippenandflynnchapels.com Belmont: 650-595-4103 Redwood City: 650-369-4103

Neptune Society of Northern

California

neptune-society.com

14

650-592-9880 1645 El Camino Real Belmont, CA 94002

Skylawn Memorial Park

skylawnmemorialpark.com 650-227-3142 Hwy. 92 at CA-35 San Mateo, CA 94402

Sneider & Sullivan & O’Connell’s

Funeral Home and Cremation

Service

ssofunerals.com 650-343-1804 977 S El Camino Real San Mateo, CA 94402

grief support groups

Visit sutterhealth.org

Kara Grief

kara-grief.org 650-321-5272 457 Kingsley Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94301

hospice/Palliative Care

Mission Hospice & Home Care

missionhospice.org 650-554-1000 66 Bovet Rd., Ste. 100 San Mateo, CA 94402

Sutter Care at Home San Mateo

Hospice

sutterhealth.org 650-685-2830 1700 S Amphlett Blvd., #110 San Mateo, CA 94402

Vitas Healthcare

vitas.com 650-350-1835 3190 Clearview Way, #100 San Mateo, CA 94402

trust/probate administration

(See Attorneys in the Planning Index)

A Los Altos History Museum Program

When it comes to living out our senior years, where we live, and with whom, is important to our well-being.

This spring, in an exhibit titled “Every Wrinkle Tells a Story: Intertwining Lives,” Los Altos History Museum featured Maud Daujean’s photographs and stories. A French photographer, videographer and storyteller, Daujean wanted to learn more about Los Altos and its people.

She spent a year photographing and interviewing 35 elders in the community, capturing her subject’s memories and how Los Altos managed to retain its village feel.

Local figures, such as Janet and Sam Harding, Chris Nagao, Dinesh Desai and Nomi Trapnell, were among the faces on display. Their videotaped testimonies included Saturday matinees at the Los Altos Theater, harvesting apricots, and the rise of Hewlett-Packard.

“All the subjects in the exhibition are 65 to 100 years old,” Museum Educator Georgianna Shea said.

She pointed out that where we live when we age is an issue we are all going to face. “By working together now, we help not only this generation, but future generations to experience happier and healthier lives in places they call home.”

“Stories should not be forgotten,” Daujean said. “I hope the new generation will never forget to ask about the past. I hope they’ll ask their parents or grandparents to tell them stories of what happened when they were young.”

Another program held in conjunction with this exhibit, “There’s No Place Like Home,” shared what cities are doing to become agefriendly for happy, sustainable intergenerational communities

“Through urban planning, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and Life Plan Communities, like The Terraces in Los Altos, seniors are able to age in place,” said Shea. “These minor changes in a city or town allow older people to live in a home they’re familiar with, in a community they love.”

Plan to visit its next exhibit, “Fabulous Food of the 30s and 40s,” July 14 - August 28.

The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit losaltoshistory.org for more information.

Los Altos Museum

PARKINSON’S & OTHER RELATED CONDITIONS EDUCATION DAY 2022 Friday, June 24, 2022 8:00 AM Check-In 8:30 AM Doors Open – 5:00 PM Crowne Plaza Hotel 1221 Chess Blvd. Foster City, CA

$10.00 Seniors (55+) $25.00 General Admission Lunch & Snacks Included for attendees

PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics; Dr. Laurice Yang Medical Complications due to Parkinson’s; Dr. Mehrdad Ayati Technology in Aging; Ki Siadatan Parkinson's Rehabilitation; Geoff Fong Physical Therapist Parkinson's Related Dementia; Dr. Elena Sherman Call Truths & Myths about Estate Planning; Roxanne Jen Esq Principal Financial Planner; Curtis Chen, CFP (Presentations Subject to Change) ***Make sure to see our preferred providers & exhibitors***