Free Living Will Symposium Set For May 19

May 14, 2007

Bowling Green, Ky. - Adults throughout the area will have a chance to document their final wishes at the Living Will Symposium Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Campbell Lane Branch of Citizens First Bank in Bowling Green. This free and convenient opportunity to complete a living will is sponsored by Western Kentucky University’s Public Radio; WKYU-PBS; the Law Firm of Harned, Bachert and Denton; Citizens First Bank and The Daily News.
           
On May 19, adults 18 years and older can stop by Citizens First Bank at Campbell Lane in Bowling Green and receive information about Kentucky living wills. Also, staff and volunteers from Western’s Public Broadcasting and the Law Firm of Harned, Bachert and Denton will be on hand to help fill out, sign and notarize living wills. Copies will be provided for the individual, their doctor and a family member or health care surrogate.
           
Jack Hanes, director of WKU’s Educational Telecommunications, said: “This is an opportunity for public broadcasting to fulfill its role in serving the community. Events such as this are core to the mission of what we do at Western’s Public Broadcasting, and we are fortunate to have the help our sponsors in making this possible.”
           
Persons who wish to complete their living will must bring their Kentucky driver’s license and the names of two health care surrogates if they choose to name surrogates in their document.  A health care surrogate is someone chosen to make health care decisions for you should you become unable to do so. The Kentucky Living Will also has a section to indicate the preference for organ/tissue donation.
           
After signing in, participants will receive information and instructions about the process. Their name and other necessary information will be entered into the living will form, and the form will be printed. Next, they will complete and initial the living will directive, the section that identifies what, if any, type of life-sustaining treatment they wish to receive. After the form is completed, the participant will sign and date it, it will be notarized, and copies will be made. The entire process should take less than 10 minutes after signing in. 
           
Attorneys from the Law Firm of Harned, Bachert and Denton will be available to answer any questions participants may have. Scott Bachert, partner with Harned, Bachert and Denton, said: “The firm is thrilled to work with Western’s Public Broadcasting and other sponsors and provide this free service to the community. Everyone 18 or older should have a living will…age is not a factor in making your wishes known.”
           
The Living Will Symposium is sponsored by Western’s Public Radio, which includes stations WKYU-FM in Bowling Green, WDCL-FM in Somerset, WKPB-FM in Henderson/Owensboro and WKUE-FM in Elizabethtown.  Other sponsors are WKYU-PBS in Bowling Green;  the Law Firm of Harned, Bachert and Denton in Bowling Green; The Daily News and Citizens First Bank.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For more information, contact Terry Reagan, 1-800-599-9598.