A Guide for Planning Ahead What to do before it’s needed

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A Guide for Planning Ahead

(Peace of Mind for you and your family)

Introduction

This booklet is designed to guide you and your family through the process of planning before the need arises. It is our intent that you be aware of the many details and options involved in planning adequately for your family, including end of life issues. Because this is an emotional and confusing time, advance knowledge will assure you that decisions will be made according to your personal wishes. Taking time to prepare will also provide you and your relatives with support and comfort when it is needed the most. It is not meant to give you legal advice. It does not try to answer all questions about anything that could come up. Every person is different, and every situation is different. Laws change from time to time. If you have a specific question or problem, please talk to a medical or legal professional for advice.

Blessings in Christ

The Deacons wish to express our gratitude for the time and effort of all those

who contributed to this updated brochure for our congregation.

Spring 2011

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Pages 3-6 Practical Preparation • Your Will • Durable Power of Attorney • Advance Health Care Directive • Living Trust

Pages 7-12 When Death Comes

• Things to do • Funeral Arrangements • Donating Bodies, Local Mortuaries • Personal History

Pages 13-18 Family Financial Considerations

• Where to find important documents • Social Security • Military – Veteran Benefits

Pages 19-20 Future Helps

• Self Help Organizations • From the Pastors’ View

Attachment #1 - Emmanuel’s Funeral and Memorial Brochure

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Practical Preparation before the Crisis

Your Will If a family is to be shielded from undue doubt, decision, and debt at the time of bereavement, the future must be faced realistically. Properly drawn, a will reflects mature thinking and planning. It forces a person to ask basic questions about estate distribution. The easiest place to begin planning is with financial provision. Every adult should have a will prepared by a competent attorney. Think about an estate planner as well. Having a will can reduce costs of probate and administration, help avoid guardianship difficulties, and ensure one’s having a choice in selection of the person or institution administering the estate. Other practical considerations include the need for life insurance. Organizing one’s important considerations include the need for life insurance, organizing one’s important documents for safekeeping, and possibly for making advance burial arrangements. Please remember any religious and/or charitable bequests that you or your loved one wishes to include.

Durable Power of Attorney This is an important legal document. Before executing this document, you should know these important facts: This document gives the person you designate as your agent (the attorney-in-fact) the power to make health care decisions for you. Your agent must act consistently with your desires as stated in this document or otherwise made known. Notwithstanding this document, you have the right to make medical and other health care decisions for yourself so long as you can give informed consent with respect to a particular decision. In addition, no treatment may be given to you over your objection, and health care necessary to keep you alive may not be stopped or withheld if you object at the time. You have the right to revoke the authority of your agent by notifying your agent or your treating doctor, hospital, or other health care provider orally or in writing of the revocation.

Durable Power of Attorney – forms can be purchased from: California Medical Association PO Box 7690, San Francisco, CA 94120-7690 (415) 882-5175

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Advance Health Care Directive � An Advance Directive for Health Care, formerly referred to as a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPAHC), is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone as your agent to speak for you when you are unable to speak for yourself. Your agent will have the authority to carry out your wishes as stated in the Advance Directive about accepting or refusing treatment, accessing your medical records, organ donations and autopsy to mention just a few items. An agent has no authority to act as long as you can speak for yourself. While you are incapacitated your agent can then make decisions consistent with your wishes. The most important purpose of an Advance Directive for Health Care is to identify to medical providers who has the authority to speak for you. After executing this form, a copy should be given to the person you named as agent, any alternate agents named, your personal physician, your attorney and place one in the glove compartment of your automobile. The original should be kept with your other important papers. If you are admitted to the hospital you should take a copy of the form with you at time of admittance. This is a form that everyone over the age of 18 should execute. We never know, no matter what our age, when we will have an illness or accident that will cause us to be unable to speak for ourselves.

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Living Trust A living, or revocable, trust is a contract between three parties: (1) the trustor (the person establishing the trust), (2) the trustee (who administers the trust) and (3) the beneficiary, or the person for whom the trust is administered. Typically, a person serves as his or her own trustee until he or she becomes incapacitated or passes away. Then the successor trustee named in the trust takes over the administrative role as trustee and administers the trust. The beneficiary of the trust is typically the trustor during his or her lifetime. Upon the death of the trustor, the beneficiaries named by the trustor inherit the assets held in the trust. If a beneficiary is a minor or incapacitated, his or her share may continue to be managed by the trustee, according to the terms of the trust. A living trust avoids probate because the purpose of probate is to obtain a court order transferring assets held in the decedent’s name alone. Because the assets in a living trust are held by the trustee or the successor trustee, no court order is needed to clear title and assets may be distributed by the trustee. Since probate proceedings are a matter of public record, a trust does provide some privacy, and greater efficiency in administration. Although a trust takes more time to establish than a will, as a practical matter, the ability to avoid a probate court conservatorship (to provide management of an incapacitated person’s affairs), and the ability to avoid probate more than compensate for the additional expense in creation. For a trust to be effective, the trust must be “funded,” that is, title to assets, such as the trustor’s residence, must be transferred to the trustee of the trust. A “pour-over” will is the companion document for a living trust and provides that assets in a decedent’s name alone at the time of his or her death are to be transferred to the then acting trustee of the decedent’s trust. Since California law does not require probate of estates unless the assets that are subject to probate (not in the trust) total more than $100,000. The use of the pour-over will and a summary affidavit will allow for the transfer of loose ends, such as automobiles or modest bank accounts.

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What To Do When Death Comes

First, if the doctor is not present, he must be called. Then the minister should be notified immediately, regardless of the hours. If he/she is called first he/she will be able to counsel with the family. Then a funeral director should be summoned. At the earliest convenient time, the family lawyer should be consulted and the business side of the estate turned over to the executor. The life insurance agent should also be called, and federal benefits applied for from Social Security and Veteran’s Administration, if applicable For quick reference: Name Telephone or FAX # Doctor _________________ ___________________ Minister _________________ ___________________ Funeral Director _________________ ___________________ Family Lawyer _________________ ___________________ Life Insurance _________________ ___________________ Employer _________________ ___________________ Veteran’s Administration _________________ ___________________ (if applicable) ____________________ _________________ ___________________ ____________________ _________________ ___________________ Call the most important friends and family members:

Name/Relationship Phone __________________________________ ___________________

__________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________ __________________________________ ___________________

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When Death Comes

A Check List of Things to do: Notify: • Doctor or Coroner • Funeral Director • Cemetery or Memorial Park • Minister/Church • All Relatives and Friends • A Family Member to make calls • Employer • Pallbearers • Insurance Agents • Unions, fraternal, veteran’s (discharge

papers to claim benefits) and trade • organizations • Newspapers • Social Security/Medicare

In Addition (Consider delegating) • Provide vital statistics about the

deceased • Prepare & sign necessary papers • Provide details for all interested

people who must be notified • Answer innumerable sympathetic

phone calls, messages and letters • Meet & talk with family, minister,

Decide on: • Choice of disposition (burial

or cremation) • Cemetery property • Casket • Vault or outer case • Clothing • Program or order of service

You May Need to Pay Some or All of the Following: • Doctor • Nurse • Hospital (Hospice) • Medicine and drugs • Funeral or memorial service • Cemetery lot • Interment service • Minister/or Officiate • Organist, soloists, pianist, other

options (see church pamphlet for details)

• Florist • Clothing • Transportation • Food • Memorials • Obituary for Newspaper

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When Death Comes (continued)

You may wish to wait a few months before notifying your credit cards and bank accounts to allow time for checks to come in that are in the deceased’s name. Notify the lenders (Mortgage Company, credit card companies, etc.) With insurance, the mortgage balance will/may be paid off, free and clear. Lender/Other __________________ ___________________ __________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ __________________ ___________________ __________________ Credit Card s Account Number Phone number ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Notify other memberships such as the AAA Automobile Club of Southern California to cancel membership(s). It is located at 100 E. Wilbur Road, T.O., 497-0911. Something to Consider: Safe deposit boxes are sealed at the time the institution becomes aware of the death. You may wish to check the bank’s policy. File Decedent’s Personal Income Tax Returns. 1040 or 1040 A – Federal; 540 or 540A – State, assuming California residency. Vehicles: Pink slip and registration (registered owner, legal owner) Possible use of D.M.V. forms to avoid Probate. Pink slip signed prior to death can avoid legal entanglements.

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Funeral Arrangements for Christian Families

The usual sequence of events is a service in the church, then one of committal at the grave, attended by the family and close friends. However, immediate burial or cremation, followed by a memorial service by the church at a later date, deserves serious consideration. Sometimes the family chooses a private, brief committal at the graveside or crematorium, with the public memorial a day or two after. If a memorial service is chosen, the body is taken care of, usually in advance, by burial or cremation. The memorial, then, effectively reflects our faith in eternal life, our appreciation of the life and service of the deceased, and our gratitude to God for His love and mercy. It goes without saying that a Christian funeral is complete in itself and that the minister alone is in charge. The mortician is his helper. Any fraternal or civic observance must be held at another time or place. Burial or Cremation? This question must be decided by the circumstances and the feelings of the family. Place of Service____________________________ Pastor ___________________________________ Music – Favorite Hymns _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Favorite Scriptures: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Flowers or Memorial Gifts ________________________________________________ Planning the Service: Please refer to the Church Memorial Brochure, Attachment 1. (If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office for details.) Personal Instructions __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Donating our Bodies

An increasing number of people wish to donate their bodies after death to medical schools to assist the education of future doctors toward saving lives. For necessary forms write to local medical schools – University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Loma Linda, and University of California at Irvine – keeping in mind that at present their needs may have been filled. All such arrangements must be made well ahead. It is of utmost importance to make one’s wishes known in a will and to the next of kin, and particularly to one’s personal physician. Still others want to give their eyes to aid the blind, or their hearts or other organs to pioneering lifesaving efforts. For the latter, make sure that the family physician understands your wish. For consent forms in giving eyes, write Eye Bank (Estate Doheny Foundation), 272 S. Lake Street, Los Angeles, 90057. Local Mortuaries: Conejo Mountain Memorial Park 2052 Howard Road Camarillo 805-482-1959 Griffin Family Funeral Home 101 E. Wilbur Road Thousand Oaks 805-230-2800 Pierce Bros Valley Oaks Memorial Park 5600 Lindero Canyon Road WLV 818-889-0902 Rose Family Funeral Home and Cremation 4444 Cochran Street Simi Valley 805-581-3800

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Information you will need to have available Keep in a secure place and inform your family of its location.

Also have on file with attorney or safe deposit box. Full Name First Middle Last Residence Address Street City State Zip Birthplace City State Birthdate Month-Day-Year Resided in County (not Country) State Since Marital Status Name of Spouse Enter maiden Name of Wife Marriage Date Place Name and Birthplace of Father Maiden Name and Birthplace of Mother Usual Occupation Name of Employing Co. Kind of Business or Industry Since Social Security Number Veteran Yes or No Branch of Service Serial No. Name of War or Dates Served Organization Rank Enlisted at Date Discharged at Date Location of Discharge Certificate

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Family Financial Considerations Know Your Investments and Financial Plans Educate yourself by reviewing your investment statements, retirement and/or pension plan statements, tax returns for the past three years, bank statements, insurance policies, mortgage information and statements related to major payments such as automobiles with your spouse and/or significant other. If you aren’t doing so already, become familiar with family accounts, banking and bill paying. Also become an active participant in your family’s financial planning process by attending meetings with attorneys, accountants and financial advisers. You also can educate yourself by attending investment seminars, reading financial publications, exploring financial web sites on the Internet – and most importantly – not being afraid to ask questions about financial issues. Create a Realistic Estimate of Your Living Expenses The three most important things you’ll need to know about your finances are:

1. What your average monthly expenses would be if you were on your own. 2. How much money would you need on a regular basis. 3. What your sources of income would be.

Don’t forget to include college expenses in your estimates if you have minor children. Professional advisors can help you make realistic assessments of your anticipated needs. Note – Useful online calculators – Vanguard, Fidelity, CNN money, etc Keep a Household Account in Your Name If you and your spouse own most of your assets jointly, consider keeping some money in a checking or savings account in your name only (also consider having a credit card in your name only). That way, in the event of a divorce or the death of your spouse, you will have ready cash available for household expenses during the settlement and adjustment period. Note – If you take a death certificate to the bank, they will allow access with Power of Attorney. Home Safe: Location _____________________________Keys are ____________

Combination:_________________________

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Family Financial Considerations Plan Your Estate Together Make sure that both of your wills are current and your beneficiary designations on assets are accurate. Consider creating durable powers of attorney for yourself and your spouse for financial and medical decision making in the event that you are unable to make them for yourselves. Note – Consider secondary Power of Attorney for adult children Be Prepared To Seek Professional Help By establishing relationships now with professionals who can help you at a time when you are newly widowed or divorced, you’ll have the trust in them that you need at critical times. Many new widows or divorce �s/divorce�es are besieged with the well-meaning advice of friends and family members, but it is wise to seek financial advice from professionals. If you do not currently have professionals in place, consider asking someone you trust for referrals. Long Term-Care Insurance Long-term care insurance is a type of insurance developed specifically to cover the costs of long-term care services, most of which are not covered by traditional health insurance or Medicare. These include services in your home such as assistance with Activities of Daily Living as well as care in a variety of facility and community settings. There is a great deal of choice and flexibility in long-term care insurance. You can select a range of care options and benefits that allow you to get the services you need in the settings that suit you best. The cost of your long-term care insurance policy is based on the type and amount of services you choose to have covered, how old you are when you buy the policy, and any optional benefits you choose, such as Inflation Protection. If you are in poor health or already have long-term care services, you may not qualify for long-term care insurance, or you may only be able to buy a more limited amount of coverage, or buy coverage at a higher “non-standard” rate. (www.longtermcare.gov/LTC) Another consideration available is Long-Term Care annuities. We suggest you contact your financial planner when evaluating any of your insurance options.

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Where to Find Important Documents

Bank Account(s) Name of Bank Type of Account Address City State Zip Phone Account Number__________________________________________

Safe Deposit Box: Bank:______________________Address:______________________________

Bank Phone # ____________________________Name on the Box is ________________________

Location of keys __________________________The Box Contains: _________________________

Checkbooks: Indicate names on the account(s) and consider a third party on each account.

Location:___________________________

Tax Returns – both Federal and State for previous years are located _________________________

Tax Preparer ___________________________Phone # ________________________________

Note – In most states, upon death, a decedent’s safety deposit box cannot be accessed unless an executor or administrator of the estate has been appointed or in the presence of a tax agent.

Location Of

______________________________________ ____________________________________ Birth Certificate Other Documents ______________________________________ ____________________________________ Children’s Certificates Annuities ______________________________________ ____________________________________ Marriage Certificate ______________________________________ _____________________________________ Deeds and Titles I.R.S. Form #706 (Estate Tax Return) ____________________________________ _____________________________________ Mortgages and Notes Name of Executor/Executrix ____________________________________ _____________________________________ Estate Will and Testaments Address ____________________________________ Military Discharge __________________________________ Income Tax Records

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Bank

Address

Telephone

Account #’s Passwords

Insurance Policies

Company

Address

Telephone

Policy Number

Securities

Company

Address

Telephone

Stocks

Bonds

Certificates of Deposit _________________________________________________________ Locations of Certificate(s) _________________________________________________________ Real Estate __________________________________________________________________ IRA or Keogh Plan ____________________________________________________________ Investment Advisor ____________________________________________________________ Don’t forget to include your passwords!

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Social Security

Anyone who had worked and paid social security (FICA) taxes has been earning Social Security benefits for his or her family. The amount of work needed to pay survivors benefits depends on the worker’s age at the time of death. Normally one needs more than 10 years to qualify. You may call their toll free number: (800) 772-1213, or go online to www.socialsecuritybenefits for details.

Who Can Get Survivors Benefits? Here is a list of family members who usually can get benefits: • Widows and widowers age 60 or older. • Widows and widowers at any age if caring for the deceased’s child(ren) who is/are

under age or disabled. • Divorced wives and husbands age 60 or older, if married to the deceased 10 years

or more. • Widows, widowers, divorced wives, and divorced husbands age 50 or older, if they

are disabled • Children up to age 18. • Children age 18-19, if they attend elementary school or high school full time. • Children over age 18, if they became disabled before age 22. • The deceased worker’s parents age 62 or older, if they were being supported by the

worker. Note: If you have a State pension in California, and that includes STRS, the amount of SS is reduced by a formula and you may not be eligible to receive any SS benefits from your spouses’ account…check it out.

A Special One-Time Payment In addition to the monthly benefits for family members, a one-time payment of $255.00 may be paid to a spouse who was living with the worker at the time of death. If there is none, it can be paid to: • A spouse who is eligible for benefits • A child or children eligible for benefits This payment cannot be made if there is no eligible spouse or child.

Reminder: If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, any checks which arrive after death will need to be returned to the Social Security office. If Social Security checks were being directly deposited into a bank account, the bank needs to be notified of the death too.

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Military/Veterans Benefits (If applicable) When a veteran dies the family may be entitled to a number of benefits. These records need to be in the following order: 1. Deceased’s service serial # 2. Discharge Papers 3. G.I. Insurance Policy, if covered 4. Marriage or divorce certificate 5. Minor children’s birth certificate 6. Certified copy of death certificate Locations of nearest VA office: _________________________________Phone#______________________________

NOTE: Did you know about Aid for Veterans and Surviving Spouses?

The Veteran’s Administration offers Aid and Attendance as part of an “Improved Pension” Benefit that is largely unknown. This Improved Pension allows for Veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing, undressing, medication dosing, or taking care of the needs of nature to receive additional monetary benefits. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an Assisted Living facility also qualifies.

This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a Pension Benefit and IS NOT dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Aid and Attendance can help pay for care in the home, Nursing Home or Assisted Living facility. A Veteran is eligible for up to $1,632 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $1,055 per month. A couple is eligible for up to $1,949 per month.

Eligibility for this benefit: Any War-Time Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War, is eligible to apply for the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension. A surviving spouse (marriage must have ended due to death of veteran) of a War-Time Veteran may also apply.) The individual applying must qualify both medically and financially.

For details or clarification regarding this benefit, go online to VeteranAid.org

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Self-Help Organizations

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome L.A. Chapter 213-633-6448 Compassionate Friends for Bereaved Parents/Camarillo – Ventura 805-981-1573* Contact Marvin* or Lynn 805-579-7065 A Grief-Recovery Group For people dealing with grief, separation or loss 818-409-8008 AIDS Project 800-922-2437 Hospice – Buena Vista 143 Triunfo Canyon Road, WLV 805-777-1133 Hospice in the Home (choices) Program of Visiting Nurse Association 805-495-2145 Hospice of the Conejo (no charge, non medical) Respite care, durable medical equipment & counseling 805-495-2145 Senior Concerns

• Adult Day Center, Family Support Services, Alzheimer’s Day Care 805-497-0159 • Meals on Wheels 805-496-2009 • Advocates 805-495-6250

Social Security Administration/Medicare General information and assistance 800-772-1213 Veteran’s Administration Counseling and guidance 213-299-6330 Victims of Crime, Resource Center 805-654-3919 Wellness Community 805-379-4777 Support for cancer patients and their families

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From the Pastor’s View

Dear Friends, Most of us don’t like to contemplate death, our own or that of a loved one. But we will all face death one day. It is an act of compassion and wisdom to consider the topic raised by these guides before events begin to force our option. The real source of our confidence in the face of death is not our careful preparation, but the knowledge we have of God’s resurrection power and promises. As the familiar verse proclaims:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

With that promise of God, through our Lord Jesus, we live each day with confidence, regardless of what it may bring. As Paul proclaimed:

I have been absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what may happen today or what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else

in God’s whole world has power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God bless us all,

Pastor Stuart Bond Pastor Dana Shaw

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ATTACHMENT #1

FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL SERVICES

SERVICES AVAILABLE At Emmanuel Church:

PIANIST/ORGANIST:

The Emmanuel Church PIANIST/organist, Kim Harris (or a referral from her) will be available to you.

Kim is paid $150.00 for this service. If additional practice time is needed to work with a soloist, her fee will be $200.00.

SOUND AMPLIFICATION:

If you expect attendance by more than 35 persons or by a significant number of

older persons then sound amplification is recommended.

The Sound Technician is paid $100.00 for this service.

MEMORIAL COORDINATOR:

Our Memorial Coordinator, Sharon Lounsberry, will assist you with putting the program together and will assist with other tasks involved in putting the service together.

The fee paid to the Memorial Coordinator is $100.00.

FACILITY CLEANING FEE:

A fee of $50.00 is paid to Emmanuel Church.

RECEPTION: (For Member Families Only)

A Deacon representative will be in contact with you.

The Diaconate will provide a reception following the service if you wish.

There is no fee.

BULLETIN PROGRAM:

After you and the pastor decide on the order of worship, the Memorial Coordinator can make suggestions for compiling and duplicating the programs. Pictures on the front can be printed in color for a cost of 10 cents per program.

The Memorial Coordinator will give you the names of the above persons so that you can prepare their payments in advance, she can also suggest the Pastor’s honorarium and she will be happy to distribute the payments for you on the day of the memorial.