Anyone who has watched a loved one suffer needlessly in the last days of life knows all too well the value of informed conversations about end-of-life wishes with the resulting decisions being incorporated into an advanced care directive.

The Alliance for Living and Dying Well -- a collaborative effort by a group of Santa Barbara County organizations – is helping people have these types of conversations, which are personal to each individual. The Alliance believes that, while painful, these types of conversations and planning for death and dying are also a time of deep meaning and growth, and they can improve one’s quality of life and ability to enjoy life.

 Some of our accomplishments for 2010 included:

• More than 30 educational presentations on Physicians Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) to physicians, EMTs, retirement communities and healthcare organizations
• More than 750 participants in our Five Wishes “Train the Trainer” and “Family and Friends” events, including one in Spanish
• 18 leaders in the community completed a year round retreat/training series in Parker Palmer’s Circle of Trust process, utilizing curriculum on Befriending the Unknown
• Three conferences at Santa Barbara City College on end-of-life topics for the community with a total of 250 participants
• A 28 minute video highlighting end-of-life conversations between couples, which aired multiple times on Channel 17

 We have set ambitious goals for 2011 in all these areas and more!