Looking to get your ducks in a row? You won’t want to miss the second Advance Care Planning fair at the Ashcroft Community Hall on Thursday, Oct. 17.
The event is designed for adults who want more information on a variety of subjects, from financial planning to health care and more. Representatives from different organizations will be there, ready to answer questions and provide information in a relaxed, “go at your own pace” setting.
There will be two sessions — one from 1 to 4 p.m. and another from 6 to 8 p.m. — and the community bus will be available for the afternoon session so that residents in Clinton and Cache Creek can attend. The event is co-sponsored by the Ashcroft Hospice Society, the Ashcroft and Area Community Resources Society, the South Cariboo Elizabeth Fry Society, and the Ashcroft HUB, and Esther Lang, one of the event’s organizers, says that it is not just aimed at seniors.
“We would like to involve as many adults as we can,” she says. “Advance Care Planning is meant for adults of all ages. Last year we tried to target seniors, as we felt they were the group most in need of something like this, but we had a lot of people who weren’t seniors come, because it was important for them as well. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow.”
The event does not feature formal presentations at set times. Instead, there are tables where attendees can pick up information that is relevant to them and speak with representatives from different organizations. Refreshments are provided, as well as an area where people can sit, read the literature they have picked up, and discuss things with friends.
“It’s very informal and completely ‘go at your own pace’,” says Lang. “People come in and circulate to all the tables they want to. Some people used it as a social event last year.” She adds that people are free to go and ask more questions if they need to, or obtain contact information for follow-up questions.
“If you’re not comfortable having those conversations then and there, you can reach out and follow up in your own time.”
At last year’s event, the lawyers and financial planner who were there received numerous questions, as did health care representatives (“A lot of people don’t know the difference between extended and long-term care,” says Lang). An adult literacy representative was also a good fit, she adds.
“They can help people fill out forms or work on computers. So many forms today are now online and have to be filled out there. A lot of people don’t have access to computers or the ability to fill out forms.”
Attendees can also obtain information on behalf of family members. Lang says that more than 100 people attended last year’s event, and organizers are hoping that they spread the word to friends and neighbours about what to expect and how much information they’ll get.
“It’s for people who want to prepare, because it’s never too late to get your ducks in a row. If you have assets, or children, or aging parents you need to come. It’s not just for seniors: it’s for any young adult who wants to plan for their future and take care of their family. There were a handful of younger people there last year, and it’s a great starter point for those harder conversations around end of life planning and for people with aging parents.
“If there’s been a tragedy and you’re trying to scramble and get things done, it’s hard to deal with if you’re in a grief and loss process. If it’s planned for then it makes the process easier. You know that someone’s plans are being honoured, so you can just grieve, because other things are taken care of.”
Thanks to the Clinton Health Care Auxiliary, the community bus will be picking up riders at the Cariboo Lodge in Clinton at 11:50 a.m., and will pick up in Cache Creek at 12:30 p.m. at the Visitor Information Centre. Riders will be dropped off at the Ashcroft Community Hall at 12:50 p.m., and the bus will be leaving the hall at 4:15 p.m., with drop-off in Cache Creek at 4:30 p.m. and in Clinton at 5:10 p.m.
There is no need to reserve for the bus, and no fee for attending the event. In addition to refreshments, there will be a door prize at each session.
“The real message of ‘Ducks in a Row’ is that this is a place to get all those answers,” says Lang. “It’s about so much more than just making a will; it’s a place for those hard conversations to get people thinking.”
