The Ethics of Working with Aging Donors

Transcription

1 The Ethics of Working with Aging Donors Tuesday, May 2, :30pm Speakers Marla Beck Owner, Andelcare James R. Carney, CFP Morgan Stanley, Financial Advisor Janell Johnson Associate Director of Development: Estate and Gift Planning Jodie Miner Vice President, Swedish Medical Center Foundation Today s Goal Discuss some of the issues around working with aging donors, particularly those with mild cognitive impairment or dementia: Increase awareness of the signs of cognitive impairment Discuss some of the many grey areas that arise when working with older donors Share some best practices to help you include family members and properly document your conversations so that you can avoid trouble 1

2 ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A DISCUSSION THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION What are the ethical responsibilities of fundraisers and other professionals who work with aging donors, particularly those who might be cognitively impaired? What is Dementia? A significant impairment in at least one of the following domains: Learning and memory Language Executive function Complex attention Perceptual-motor function Social cognition The key is that it is impairment that interferes with independence in everyday activities Possible Causes of Dementia Neurodegenerative Alzheimer disease Down syndrome Parkinson disease Dementia with Lewy bodies Frontotemporal lobar degeneration Frontotemporal dementia Progressive non-fluent aphasia Semantic dementia Corticobasal degeneration Progressive supranuclear palsy Multiple system atrophy Huntington disease ALS-parkinsonism-dementia complex Cerebrovascular Vascular dementia Vasculitis Hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy Prion-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease Fatal familial insomnia Neurogenetic Spinocerebellar ataxias Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration Kuf disease Mitochondrial encephalopathies Lafora disease Wilson disease Infectious Meningitis, encephalitis Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy Neurosyphillis Whipple s disease HIV Toxic/metabolic Systemic : thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, liver, kidney, Vitamin deficiencies Drugs, alcohol, heavy metals,... Miscellaneous Multiple sclerosis Post-traumatic Neoplastic Hydrocephalus 2

3 Schematic of Cognitive Decline NORMAL Symptoms appear Cognition & Function MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT DEMENTIA Problems with usual activities start Age Green Flags for Memory Complaints Momentarily forgetting why they went into a room Occasionally misplacing objects Forgetting names of people Common Symptoms of Alzheimer s Disease Repetitive questions or statements Problems with day-to-day memory Disorientation to time Repeatedly missing appointments or meetings Disoriented in familiar environments & routes Difficulty with routine tasks Difficulty learning new devices 3

4 Working with Older Donors The time right after diagnosis is often a time of planning for a family It is always a good idea to involve family members or financial/legal advisors in gift discussions It is particularly important to document discussions with donors who might be cognitively impaired The Hows and Whys of Documentation What should you document? Phone conversations Meetings How should you document? Letters are best When it is a gift conversation, think carefully about What should you include in your documentation? List of attendees, purpose of the meeting, topics discussed and next steps (this can be conversational ) It is particularly important to try document all discussions related to future gifts (including information about level, structure, timing, and people to involve in the future) It is still important to document stewardship conversations The Key is No Sudden Moves Family members might not understand the why behind the gift Everyone involved needs to understand the scope and scale and potential impact of any gift (past or future) Values and a shared respect for the donor and their vision need to be at the forefront of any conversation. Formality is one way of showing this respect. The whole team needs to be involved in stewardship 4

5 Getting Others Involved: Who? Family First Spouse Children & Grandchildren Siblings Very Close Friends and Business Partners Professional Advisors Attorney Financial Advisor CPA Getting Others Involved: How? Earlier is always better Including families in stewardship of past giving is a great way to help them get involved early Even if there is no family, people often have a close friend or business partner who can advise Professional advisors need to be involved, but in a different way Discussion 5

6 Contact Information Marla Beck or James R. Carney, CFP or Janell Johnson or Jodie Miner or