2025-2026 Speaker Series

Navigating Your Next Chapter

The theme is “Navigating Your Next Chapter” for the 2025-2026 St. James NEST Speaker Series.  Our purpose is to provide services and support to St. James' residents to enhance your ability to make 'aging in place' a reality. Each year NEST supports that goal with current topics the community will find valuable and interesting.  This year’s topics include: The Gift of Perspective, The Mind/Body Connection, Ensuring Your Wishes are Honored with Advanced Medical Directives, and Smart Living Made Simple: Enhancing Daily Life with Home Technology. We have a great line up of speakers this year who are knowledgeable in their respective topics. All programs will be held at the Homer E. Wright Event Center and are open to all St. James residents.

Advanced Medical Directives:  Guidance for Loved Ones and Peace of Mind for You

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 - 3:00-4:30 pm

Speaker: Dr. Cyril Barch, MD

Medical decision making at age 50 can look quite different than medical decision making at age 70. While this can be an uncomfortable discussion, making sure your medical agent understands your wishes is key to peace of mind and reduces family conflict and guilt. Many people do not realize that Advanced Medical Directive documents are dynamic in nature depending upon life circumstance.  These directives need to be revisited regularly as relationships change, people move, and personal situations change. 

This presentation will show you how to look at previous Advanced Medical Directives, and make sure they remain relevant to your current situation. It will also be useful for those who have not had this discussion to formulate a plan  for peace of mind.  That way your inner circle will be updated, informed, prepared, and able to fulfill your wishes. 

From this presentation you will learn to:

Identify or reconfirm a medical agent
Examine where you are today…what has changed?
Define the elements included in Advanced Medical Directives
Eliminate family conflict and guilt
Review these documents periodically 
This will be a thought-provoking discussion centered around identifying the best medical directives that align with individual needs and values, as well as an important refresh for those with directives and an important beginning step for those who have not completed the Advanced Medical Directives document.