Golder Ranch Fire serves SaddleBrooke well. (Photo by Terry Heggy)
A Health Care Power of Attorney Is Not a DNR
Stephanie Thomas
The distraught husband repeated over and over, “That’s not what she wanted.” Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) were kneeling next to his wife, administering life-saving procedures. Her husband tried futilely to make them stop. He showed them her Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will. She did not want to be resuscitated. The responders did not stop. They attempted to resuscitate her and took her to the hospital.
Why did the EMTs continue the resuscitation even though the husband had legal documents stating otherwise? Because the documents were not medical orders. Emergency response teams must act quickly in a medical crisis. They often do not have time to determine whether you have a valid Health Care Power of Attorney or Living Will explaining treatments you want provided or withheld. They cannot stop resuscitation efforts without a signed medical order from a doctor.
Arizona law provides two medical documents that protect a patient’s end-of-life wishes. A Prehospital Medical Care Directive informs emergency personnel outside of a hospital setting that they are not to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). They will withhold all life-sustaining efforts. This one-page document is an official Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) medical order signed by a doctor and witness or notary. The Arizona form must be printed on orange paper and displayed in plain sight in your home.
A Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will are useful legal documents in most circumstances for future medical care, but in an emergency situation, first responders will rely only on the Prehospital Medical Care Directive signed by a doctor.
The second document is the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form, printed on pink paper and signed by the doctor and patient after discussing what is important to you, your diagnosis, what is likely to happen in the future, and what your treatment options are. This document is usually recommended for seriously ill or very frail individuals. A POLST form stays in your medical records and travels with you when you move between health facilities.
If you or your loved one is considering a Do Not Resuscitate decision, now is the time to discuss your wishes with your doctor and options like the POLST and Prehospital Medical Care Directive. Both forms are available from your doctor.
For more information on health care directives and estate questions, call Senior Village at 520-314-1042 and request an appointment with the Forms and Documents Team.
Donations to Senior Village Offset State Income Tax
Ed Kula, Senior Village Treasurer
Senior Village at SaddleBrooke, Inc., has maintained its status as a Qualified Charitable Organization (QCO) under Arizona tax law almost since its inception. A QCO designation allows any Arizona taxpayer to donate to a selected organization and use that donation as a credit toward state taxes.
After donating to a QCO like Senior Village, an Arizona taxpayer can reduce year-end state income tax liability by up to $421 for an individual and up to $841 for a jointly filed return each year. The QCO changed for 2023 and will increase again for 2024 taxes. Forms, details, and filing dates can be found at www.azdor.gov.
This is a unique opportunity to support Senior Village and keep tax dollars working to help your neighbors right here in our community. Your donations are paid directly to Senior Village, with corresponding credits taken to reduce Arizona state income tax on your annual Arizona tax return. The QCO code for Senior Village at SaddleBrooke is 20990.
QCO donations are an important part of our annual funding and help us meet our motto: Neighbors Helping Neighbors. Our volunteers perform direct services to nearly 2,000 members, providing transportation, forms and documents organization, in-home technology, fire department lockboxes, and assistance with home and yard projects.
Your donations make it possible to operate our nonprofit 501(c)(3) “virtual” village, which includes technology and website services, insurance protection and background checks for volunteers, staffing expenses, administrative supplies, and expenses. Directing your tax dollars to Senior Village through QCO contributes to the quality of life here in SaddleBrooke.
Individuals seeking tax guidance should consult their professional tax advisors. You may receive this State of Arizona 2023 income tax credit anytime from now until April 15, 2024.
Donations can be sent to Senior Village at SaddleBrooke, P.O. Box 8584, Tucson, AZ 85738. You can go to the Senior Village website at seniorvillage.org. The website includes a button to donate directly. For more information, call us at 520-314-1042.
Seth Rosenblum (photo by Donna Stewart)
Smart Devices You Want for Christmas
Seth Rosenblum, Team Leader, Home Technology
If the world of smart devices intimidates you, this presentation could be just what you need to feel smarter than the devices you may receive for Christmas. This seminar delves into the transformative world of smart devices and how they can help in many aspects of your life.
As the team leader of Senior Village’s Home Technology team, I have learned a great deal about the comfort and discomfort of SaddleBrooke residents with technology. This presentation will help you discover how smart devices empower us to maintain our independence while simultaneously improving our health and safety.
We will uncover ways that these ingenious gadgets enable seamless communication, provide access to vital health care information, contact emergency services, and give us remote monitoring capabilities. They provide peace of mind to the people who use them and their loved ones.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insight into a brighter, more connected future. Join us at the DesertView Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 2:30 p.m. It’s time to embrace the digital revolution that’s redefining our golden years.
Senior Village Events in SaddleBrooke
Nov. 20 – Music Matinee, 2 to 4 p.m., Vistas Dining Room, SaddleBrooke One
The November Music Matinee, hosted by Senior Village, begins at 2 p.m. in the Vistas dining room at SaddleBrooke One and features Native American flutist, John McAlister, with freeform music inspired by the natural environment and native people of Arizona. The Sonoran Singers, under the direction of the talented Cora Peters, also bring their musical joy to the afternoon. Comprised of SaddleBrooke women with a passion for music, they always offer an energetic presentation.
Expect a relaxing afternoon with friends and neighbors who love music. Senior Village offers these free concerts to SaddleBrooke every month to showcase the talent here in our community.
Nov. 27 – Men’s Social Hour, East Patio Room, MountainView
There’s always something happening that is worth a discussion. The men of Senior Village enjoy time together every fourth Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. They meet in the East Patio Room at the MountainView clubhouse. Refreshments may be ordered at the individual’s expense. No reservation is necessary. For information, contact David Bull at [email protected].
There will be no Men’s Social Hour in December.
Dec. 7 – Smart Devices for Christmas, 2:30 p.m. DesertView Theatre
Senior Village and the Patrols of SaddleBrooke One and SaddleBrooke TWO offer a seminar that delves into the transformative world of the smart devices that can empower us to maintain our independence while improving our health and safety. Seth Rosenblum, team leader of the Senior Village Home Technology team, invites you to embrace the digital revolution.
A Senior Village Book Club Read with Panache
Our September selection for the Senior Village Book Club was Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. We decided that once a year we would read a classic. Jane Austen was it! For some it was the first time they read one of her novels.
A Victorian Tea was offered to complement our meeting by our discussion leader Michelle Otinger. We had beautiful cups, napkins, and plates. A selection of English teas and scones were provided.
Our discussion ranged from a “beautiful story” to “really?” No matter, our high energy offered comments, critiques, and guffaws.
The Senior Village Book Club meets the third Thursday of every month from 1 to 3 p.m. The books we read are determined by club members. In October we reviewed The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, a story of a woman beyond her time and the choices she had to make in order to be recognized and succeed.
If you have an interest in the Senior Village Book Club, please contact Melanie Einbund at [email protected].
Where Is Senior Village?
Linda Hampton, Executive Director
People still ask, “Where is Senior Village?” The common answer is that we are everywhere in SaddleBrooke. Senior Village operates as a business, connecting members who need assistance with volunteer SaddleBrooke residents who are eager to lend a hand. Requests for these services increase every year, with no indication the trend will reverse.
But the real mystery behind the question is about a Senior Village office. Earlier this year, Senior Village purchased a half-acre parcel just outside the SaddleBrooke gate on Acacia Hills/Lago del Oro and began the long process of rezoning to build an office. Anyone who has ever built a home knows that the process has many phases and can last much, much longer than we think it should. The delay has created the possibility for rumors to take wing. Misunderstandings and misinformation about the project have flourished, and I hope to clear up some of this here.
1. Some think that Senior Village purchased the land from SaddleBrooke One. Absolutely not true! Senior Village purchased the land from a private owner who had previously owned much of the property now identified as Loma Serena. This is a matter of public record and can be verified by anyone willing to investigate.
2. Some think that SaddleBrooke One funded the purchase for Senior Village with money raised through residential dues. Also not true! Senior Village purchased the property with its own funds. Generous SaddleBrooke donors who value the work of Senior Village are eager to help create a sustainable Senior Village for future SaddleBrooke residents.
3. Some think that SaddleBrooke One residents are funding improvements to the property with their dues. Again, a misunderstanding of the facts. What is true is that both Senior Village and SaddleBrooke One have retained the same engineering firm (WLB Engineering in Tucson) to perform a drainage study on our adjacent properties. A drainage study is necessary to rezone or develop either parcel. SaddleBrooke One will pay for its portion of the study, and Senior Village will pay for its portion of the study (about $7,000).
4. Some say that an office in this location will contribute to an already dangerous traffic situation. The Arizona Department of Transportation performed a traffic study near the intersection of Lago del Oro and MountainView. The study recorded that the number of vehicles traveling south along Acacia Hills/Lago del Oro pick up speed as they leave SaddleBrooke. As property owners, Senior Village has expressed concerns to the Pinal County Transportation Department and the Pinal County Board of Supervisors through our local representative Doug McClure. Options for lowering speeds are possible, and Senior Village will continue to actively seek a solution.
5. A common misconception is that a Senior Village office will add to the traffic. My guess is that people who think this have a basic misunderstanding of the way Senior Village operates. As with most businesses these days, much of the work is done with technology. A Senior Village office will not be a place where many people work, gather, or visit. The meeting rooms of the HOAs provide the perfect meeting spaces for us, and we have no reason to build big meeting rooms. Senior Village does not own a fleet of vans, and although we are responsible for transporting people to their appointments, volunteers use their personal vehicles and pick members up from their homes. The number of parking spaces required by Pinal County zoning is mandated by a formula based on the square footage of the building. Whatever that number ends up being, it should not be viewed as an indication that this number of cars will be parked at the facility every day.
6. For those who believe that building something on this parcel will destroy the view for the Loma Serena homes, a basic understanding of the topography of the area clarifies that the homes on Acacia Hills/Lago del Oro are at a much higher elevation. The vistas and the Catalina Mountains will continue to be visible over the roof of the Senior Village office.
The Senior Village phone number is 520-314-1042, and my extension is 10. I am always eager to answer questions about this project and look forward to speaking with anyone who wants to know more than what the rumor mill is dispensing.