Space is limited, registration required

Boulder County, Colo. - The
Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) will host an interactive workshop: Advance
Directives for LGBT Older Adults, on Saturday, Nov. 19, in Longmont.

What: Advance directives
for LGBT older adults workshop
When: Saturday, Nov. 19, 9:45 a.m. sign in, 10 a.m. – noon workshop
Where: Longmont Senior Center, 910 Longs Peak Ave.
Cost: No charge, but
registration is required

Issues
around the end of life can bring up many difficult questions. When we cannot
act for ourselves, who will pay our bills? Who will care for our home or pet?
Who will answer a health care provider’s question? What if we fall and can’t get
up? Who knows what we want? These are questions that many older adults will
ask, and circumstances for LGBT older adults can be particularly tenuous.

This
interactive planning and information workshop offers LGBT older adults time to
reflect upon these issues, and offers ideas on creating intentional communities
of care. “Our rainbow elders may be especially vulnerable towards end of life,”
notes workshop organizer Nancy Grimes of the AAA. “We are five times less
likely to have children and twice as likely to live alone as our cisgender/heterosexual
counterparts. There may be no next of kin to call upon. For many of us, there
are no obvious caregivers or personal representatives. How can we assure our
wishes are expressed and respected?”

While
there is no charge, space is limited and registration is requested by Thursday,
Nov. 17 by calling 303-441-3583.

A
team of local experts will share their knowledge on these topics, followed by
discussion. Speakers will include:

• Alice
  Ierley, J.D., Brown & Ierley LLC, who specializes in elder law and estate
  planning, including planning for long term care
• Maggie
  Benton, New York Life, who focuses on financial needs and solutions for adults
• Phyllis
  Coleta, J.D., Director of The Conversation Project in Boulder County, who creates
  and shares tools for how to ‘have the conversation’ about our end-of-life care

For
more information, contact Nancy Grimes at 303-441-3583, or ngrimes@bouldercounty.org.