Time to talk about end-of-life issues is now

Richard Barid and Michael Smith

Guest columnists

Updated: Apr 18, 2016, 8:00 PM

Published: Apr 18, 2016, 2:15 PM

They say the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes.

So it’s fitting that National Healthcare Decisions Day, which was Saturday, falls the day after Tax Day.

Now in its ninth year, National Healthcare Decisions Day encourages the young and old to talk about their end-of-life wishes and put those wishes in writing.

An advance directive for health care is a document that outlines what life-prolonging treatments, if any, you desire in case you are unable to speak for yourself. These treatments may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, artificial respirators, feeding tubes and intravenous rehydration.

The document also appoints someone you trust as your proxy to speak on your behalf if you are incapacitated. This person will be able to make health-care decisions based on how well they know you with regard to anything not covered in your advance directive. Further, you can nominate a person to be appointed your legal guardian should a court ever determine you are in need of one.

Advance directives also may address issues including organ donation, whole-body donation to medical schools, funeral and burial arrangements.

According to a recent article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, only 26 percent of people have advance directives for health care.

The study found that most people who did not have an advance directive did not know that they existed, which highlights the importance of National Healthcare Decisions Day. The study found that older people or people with chronic diseases were more likely to have an advance directive, which illustrates the tendency for people to consider this option as death approaches.

Another recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that more than 60 percent of individuals age 18 years and older want their end-of-life wishes to be respected. But only about a third of them had completed advance directives.

The study found that while people had given thought to the question of end-of-life care, a majority had not completed the forms. Similar to the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, about a quarter of those who did not have advance directives said they did not know about them. Others felt they were too young or healthy to complete them.

However, as the theme of this year’s National Healthcare Decisions Day points out, "It always seems too early, until it’s too late." Death or an incapacitating illness is unpredictable and could come at any time.

Finally, we would like to highlight that some people in the American Journal of Public Health study did not have advance directives because they were concerned about the cost, complexity or time that might be required to create one. As with many things in life, the cost, complexity and time of not having an advance directive far outweigh the relatively little cost and time of setting one up.

A qualified estate-planning attorney can help you set up your own advance directive. These documents do not expire, but it is recommended that you update them every couple of years for peace of mind. You will want to make sure that the person whom you designated as your proxy is still the best choice, and your family will want to know that your directive still reflects your current wishes.

Barid and Smith are co-founders of Savannah-based Smith Barid LLC, which focuses on estate planning, elder law and special-needs planning. They can be reached at 912-352-3999 or richard@smithbarid.com or msmith@smithbarid.com.

Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port

The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

GardenCityTerminal — The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

Bryan County News

Updated: May 23, 2018, 1:59 AM

Published: May 23, 2018, 2:00 AM

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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