Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

We’re all dying and below are some important points to address to ensure your wishes are fulfilled and also make it easier for your family and friends if you pass suddenly.

Important things to do ASAP:

Make sure all bank accounts have direct beneficiaries. The beneficiary need only go to the bank with your death certificate and an ID of their own.

TOD = Transfer On Death deed if you own a home. Completing this document and filing it with your county saves your heirs huge amounts. This document allows you to transfer ownership of your home to your designee. All they need to do is take their ID and your death certificate to the county building and the deed is signed over. Doing this will avoid the home having to go through probate.

Living Will: Allows person to put in writing exactly what person wants done in the event you cannot speak for yourself when it comes to healthcare decisions

Durable Power of Attorney: Allows person to designate a person to make legal decisions if one is no longer competent to do so.

Power of Attorney for Healthcare: This document allows person to designate someone to make healthcare decisions for their person.

Last Will and Testament: Designates to whom personal belongings will go too. Funeral Planning Declaration: allows for final say on wishes as far as disposition of the body and the services.

If the above documents are done, you can possibly avoid probate. If all the above is not done, you have to open an estate account at the bank. All money that doesn’t have direct beneficiaries goes into this account. You have to have an attorney to open the estate account. The attorney also has to publicize your passing in the paper etc., to allow anyone to make a claim on your property. - It’s a complete PAIN.

List all banks and account numbers, all investment institutions with account numbers, lists of credit cards, utility accounts, etc. Leave clear instructions as to how and when these things are paid. Make sure heirs know where life insurance policies are located.

Be confident someone knows your Apple ID, bank ID account logins and passwords!! Make sure you have titles for all vehicles, campers, boats, etc!

Be Certain to Talk with those closest to you and make all your wishes KNOWN. Talk to those who you’ve designated, as well as those close to you whom you did not designate. This will explain why your decisions were made to avoid any lingering questions or hurt feelings. Save thousands in attorney fees and avoid having to probate the estate. Best to take care of these things to make it easier for those we’ll leave behind!

Note: The above list is a start of important conversation with your loved ones and an attorney to help complete all the necessary steps.

Hospice of Santa Barbara Welcomes Dana VanderMey as New Board Chair Along with 2 New Board Officers

Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) welcomes Dana VanderMey as new Board of Directors Chair.

Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) welcomes Dana VanderMey as the new Chair of its Board of Directors along with the announcement of two additional new board officers. The two new board officers are Dianne Travis Teague as Vice Chair and Eryn Shugart as Secretary. Sam McCabe has also been re-elected as Treasurer.

Dana VanderMey is the newly appointed chairperson of Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Board of Directors. VanderMey is a retired RN with 49 years of varied nursing experience and has served on the HSB Board for 3.5 years. Previously, she was employed for a total of 17 years with HSB as Director of Volunteer Services before retiring in 2013. She was an RN Case Manager from 1984- 1989.

VanderMey is an active community volunteer and currently serves on 2 other boards of non-profit organizations, St. Francis Foundation and the Friendship Center. She also serves in various leadership positions in the Santa Barbara area including in her church, Hope Community Church. She has earned a number of certifications over the years as well as earning awards for her efforts.

In 1999, the Independent named her a “Local Hero” for her innovative work in starting the St. Francis Medical Center Parish Nursing Program, from the Catholic Health Association. In 2000, she was named a Public Health Professional of the year and given a special congressional recognition by Congresswoman Lois Capps. In 2016, HSB awarded her a Hero of Hospice Legacy award and in 2018, the Friendship Center gave her The Big-Hearted Award for her years of volunteer work with the board and with the center’s members.

A graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management & Marketing, Travis-Teague brings over 20 years of direct experience in both mid- and large-sized companies. She maintains extensive capabilities in project management, financial analysis, customer service implementation and training, and workshop/meeting planning.

As Director of Alumni Relations for Pacifica Graduate Institute for the last nine years, Travis-Teague has created and maintained pathways for alumni participation that advance the mission of Pacifica Graduate Institute; namely, to tend to the soul of and in the world. In this role, she collaborates with colleagues to identify, cultivate, and steward alumni giving in a multiplicity of ways.

In addition to her responsibilities as Director of Alumni Relations, Travis-Teague stays actively involved in community service as a national spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Avon Foundation for Women: Breast Cancer Crusade, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, WomenHeart (the National Coalition for Women Living with Heart Disease), Mended Hearts, Inc., and the Women’s Heart Center.

Eryn is a Santa Barbara native who earned a PhD in Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. She has worked in senior management for local non-profit organizations serving both children and seniors for the past 15 years.

Shugart was formerly an adjunct faculty in Psychology and Nursing for Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and was instrumental in bringing a Healthy Aging Skills Competency Award and associate degree program to SBCC.

She currently is the Major Gifts Officer of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, as well as a 2017 graduate of the Courage to Lead Program. She additionally serves as an Ambassador for the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce and is on Leading from Within's Alumni Committee. Prior to joining the board, Shugart served on HSB’s Wellness and End of Life Committee for two years.

Sam McCabe began his career in Technology in the late 1990’s at the height of the ‘dot com’ boom and eventually grew to manage a global team of 20 while traveling extensively. After, McCabe pursued his goal of attending business school and graduated with his MBA; subsequently working in various business intelligence, market research, and sales and marketing development roles. In 2014, he founded his own consulting business and focused solely on the SMB and NP verticals.

His passions include spending time at the beach and in the mountains with his wife and daughter, flyfishing, cooking, volunteering, reading, skiing, golfing, and seeking out playgrounds in any new city.

Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara also provides counseling in our offices and on fifteen local junior and high school campuses to children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.

The Finest in Independent Living

Without the hassles of mundane chores, you’re free to enjoy the things you really want to do. At Vista del Monte, you’ll have time to engage in what’s most meaningful to you: pick up a new skill or hobby, travel, discover an interesting sport, or make more time to socialize. Whatever it is, we can help. With our Independent Living services, we take care of all the practical tasks, including transportation, housekeeping, and maintenance. Our culinary staff prepares delicious meals, handles all the day-to-day chores, and your wellbeing needs are attended to—all in one place. For information visit: www.vistadelmonte.org. Vista Del Monte – Santa Barbara, California – 805-687-0793