An engaged faith community in aging senior connections

1. FAITH TO FATE
THE AWARD-WINNING FAITH-BASED ADVANCE CARE PLANNING
PARTNERSHIP IN RICHMOND’S AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES

2. EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET HERE…
BUT…NOBODY WANTS TO GO!!

3. WHAT’S FAITH
GOT TO DO
WITH IT?

4. SO… WHAT… REALLY… IS… FAITH…
IF IT IS NOT
ADVANCE CARE PLANNING??

5. MOST WORSHIPPERS ARE PRETTY GOOD AT…
ADVANCE HEAVEN PLANNING
BUT NOT SO GOOD AT…
ADVANCE LEGAL PLANNING
ADVANCE MEDICAL PLANNING

6. EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET HERE…
BUT…NOBODY WANTS TO GO!!
• Life Quantity/Quality
• Goals of Care
• Advance Directives
• Place/Disposition
• Artificial Life Support
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ESTATE BELIEFSMEDICAL BELIEFS
• Afterlife
• Tradition
• Restrictions
• Spirituality
• Who for My Money
• Who for My Property
• Who for My Decisions
• What for My Legacy
Advance Care Planning

7. THE FISSURE IN OUR BEING?
Going…Without Ever Having to Get There!
Living (forever!)…Without Ever Having to Die!
ADMITTEDLY…AND OBVIOUSLY…A PROBLEM!
SO I’LL JUST DEAL WITH IT TOMORROW!

8. MOST AMERICANS WALLOW
WAY TOO COMFORTABLY AND WAY TOO LONG IN OUR
“DEATH AVOIDANCE CULTURE”
…AND IN THE U.S. NO ONE DOES IT BETTER
THAN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND
LATINO-AMERICAN POPULATIONS
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ALL AMERICANS WITH ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES = 25% OR LESS
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF AA AND LATINO AMERICANS WITH ADVANCE DIRECTIVES = 2% OR LESS

9. SHIFTING INGRAINED CULTURAL NORMS
IN ANY GROUP DEMANDS ABUNDANT…
➢ TIME
➢ COMMITMENT
➢ PATIENCE
➢ PERSISTENCE

10. SOME PESKY ACP BARRIERS IN AFRICAN
AMERICAN FAITH AND CULTURE
➢ IT’S GOD’S BUSINESS, NOT MINE!
➢ TALKING OR WRITING ABOUT DYING/DEATH ONLY MAKES IT HAPPEN!
➢ GOD’S HEALING/RESURRECTION IS FOR ME! (Or whomever I choose to pray for)
➢ MAXIMUM SUFFERING = MAXIMUM FAITH
➢ “EVERYTHING” IS “NOTHING” (Medically Speaking, Of Course)
➢ WHATEVER! THAT’LL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME!
➢ I CAN’T AFFORD NO LAWYER! MY WIFE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT I WANT.
➢ KICK THE CAN, NOT THE BUCKET! “AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR
DAT!” (“Sweet Brown Syndrome”)

11. WORKING IT
FAITH TO FATE
MOU COMMITMENT TO A CHURCH-BASED ACP COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER:
❑ No Program Costs to the Church
❑ No Administration Burden for the Church
❑ Free Ongoing Technical Assistance and Support From Senior Connections
❑ Free ACP Certifications – Respecting Choices ACP Facilitators
❑ Free “Mini-Library” ACP Reference Materials Provided
❑ “Graduation” Envisioned – Eventual Spin-off As An Independent CRC

12. FACTORS FOR SUCCESS:
❑ Senior Pastor/Leadership Buy-In, Involvement and Promotion
❑ Counter-Messaging From the Pulpit
❑ Unifying Statement of Principles – Endorsed
❑ Strong, Self-Motivating F2F Ministry Team
❑ Commitment to Community-Based Ministries & Outreach
❑ No “Jesus Pimps!”
WORKING IT
FAITH TO FATE

13. WORKING IT
FAITH TO FATE
THREE-STEP PROGRAM CYCLE, REPEATED EVERY SIX MONTHS:
1. Church-Wide Announcement and Benchmarking Survey
2. Free & Open Educational Forum with Q&A
3. Legal Documents Preparation Day Event

14. WORKING IT
FAITH TO FATE
MORE THAN 375 FREE LEGAL DOCUMENTS
EXECUTED AND DELIVERED TO DATE!
✓ SIMPLE WILLS
✓ ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES
✓ POWERS OF ATTORNEY

15. FAITH 2 FATE ADVANCE CARE PLANNING INITIATIVE
Virginia’s 2015
Top Best-Practice Award-Winner!
America’s 2015
Top Best-Practice Award-Winner!
WE’RE A WINNER!

16. Ivan K. Tolbert, MPA, MEd
Community Relations Manager &
Certified Advance Care Planner
Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging
24 East Cary Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone: (804) 672-4498
Email: itolbert@youraaa.org
CONTACT: