“Ofrenda de Amor” (In the Style of a Death Cafe)

What is Ofrenda de Amor?

Join Eva Navarrete and me for our first “Ofrenda de Amor” at the Oxnard Public Library. Ofrenda de Amor is a discussion group in the style of a Death Cafe. The most notable difference between Ofrenda de Amor and a Death Cafe is the inclusion of supplemental materials from our sponsors, Compassion & Choices and the San Diego Coalition for Compassionate Care.

This event is a dual-language (English and Spanish) discussion that invites attendees to consider their end-of-life values. We emphasize the importance of having conversations about what kind of treatment you want when you are too sick or injured to speak for yourself.

Discussion Topics to Consider

Talking about our dying experience is an uncomfortable conversation to have with our loved ones. Most of us wish for a long life that ends in a peaceful death in our sleep. The reality is that medical treatment can now keep people alive for years. Being alive and living are different states of consciousness. The topics we want people to consider are

1. Who will speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself? Does your person know what you value in your life? Do they agree with your treatment choices?
2. What are your values and goals around specific treatments? CPR? Intubation? Artificial nutrition? Artificial hydration?
3. If you’re unable to recover from your condition and your brain has minimal activity, are you prepared to have your organs transplanted to save someone else?

These are the pragmatic subjects we hope you will consider when you leave. We will send you home with plenty of materials to help you start the discussion with your loved one.