Karen Russo: End-of-Life Advance Directive Protection

An honest conversation about advance directives: what they are, why they matter, and how to make sure yours actually protects the people you love.

This event has ended. Contact Brand New Day for information about Karen Russo and her advance directive package.

End-Of-Life Advance Directive Protection

Held Saturday, February 7, 2026, 11am to 1pm, at the Healing Arts Center, 15545 W 87th St, Suite 100, Lenexa, KS 66219.

Our lives could be radically altered at any moment without warning. No one ever plans to be sick, disabled, or on life support. Yet planning for these possibilities can make all the difference in an emergency that may or may not be an end-of-life moment.

Having key documents in place

Key documents help ensure your wishes are honored by the medical community and make clear to your loved ones what to do and when to do it.

There are end-of-life document templates you can access through the Internet, and then there are end-of-life documents that are custom fit to your wishes and lifestyle.

The difference between the two is in the details of the documents themselves and knowing how to use them to ensure your instructions are carried out.

Many end-of-life documents fail to address key issues that are "hidden" and must be brought to light and "nailed down": for example, organ donation, hospice, mental health issues and much more.

Did you know: If powerful end-of-life documents are not in place for 18 year olds, and younger children or grandchildren who are in a catastrophic accident and unable to speak, parents have no authority over the delivery of their healthcare or any decisions that need to be made on their behalf.

Authority for adults falls on the hospital administration, medical ethics boards and attending physicians.

If powerful end-of-life documents are not in place for a loved one who is on a ventilator or in a coma, you have little to no authority over the delivery of their healthcare, nor do you have the authority to disallow removal of a ventilator.

There are many more issues that are not addressed in most end-of-life documents that must be covered.

About Karen Russo

Karen Russo is founder of The Wrongful Death & Injury Institute and LifeCare Interlock. She is an SME in Healthcare Delivery, End Of Life Documentation, and a Forensic Death Consultant.

Karen has created a Healthcare Declaration / Advance Directive package. It combines key documents, interlocking one to another, into one uniform approach that functions as the "armored car" of healthcare delivery and end-of-life instructions, carried out on your behalf or on behalf of a loved one.

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