Lifetime Members FAQs

Thank you for your interest in learning more about joining LifeSPAN as a lifetime member. We hope these Frequently Asked Questions will answer most of your questions. But if they don’t, please contact us at 425.883.9867 or by email: info@lifespan-wa.org.

• How do I join LifeSPAN as a lifetime member?
• What happens next?
• What is the Future Planning Consultation?
• Do you have to be a lifetime member to have a Future Planning Consultation?
• How much does it cost to join as a lifetime member?
• Who pays the membership fees when the parents pass away?
• Where can I find out about how to get that kind of language in my will?
• What if I can’t think of anyone who would want to be on my family member’s network?
• How severe a disability must a person have to need a network of support?

How do I join LifeSPAN as a lifetime member?

There are many paths to LifeSPAN, but usually people begin by attending a LifeSPAN workshop or introductory session. (See Workshops for the current schedule.) Or they might have talked to someone who is already involved in LifeSPAN. It’s a good idea to have read A Good Life, by Al Etmanski, too. This book outlines the philosophy of PLAN (TM) of Canada and LifeSPAN (which is the only U.S. affiliate of PLAN). Attending the “7 Steps in 7 Sessions” workshop also helps families begin the process that they will follow to set up a personal network of support for their family member with a disability.

If you’ve done some or most of these things and feel you are ready to pursue lifetime membership, then the next step is to complete the Lifetime Membership Application Form and submit it to the LifeSPAN office with your check for $1000:

• Lifetime Membership Application Form (PDF)

When your lifetime membership has been approved by the Board, you’ll be contacted to set up a Future Planning Consultation. After reviewing your Family History and Future Planning Consultation, the LifeSPAN Facilitator Coordinator will begin the process of hiring a facilitator to help you establish a network for your family member with a disability.

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The Future Planning Consultation is a process that helps a family review the current state of affairs pertaining to the relative with a disability. It takes about two hours. The Future Planning Consultation is free for lifetime members (and is a requirement for their membership).

The Future Planning Consultation uses a structured interview, and the LifeSPAN representatives who conduct the consultation produce a written report for the family. For lifetime members, that report is used by the LifeSPAN Facilitator Coordinator to help begin the process of starting a network for the family member with a disability.

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No. LifeSPAN offers this service to families who have not yet joined as lifetime members for $150. To arrange a Future Planning Consultation, contact the LifeSPAN office 425.883.9867 or by email info@lifespan-wa.org.

Note: For some families, the Future Planning Consultation provides a good opportunity to consider whether lifetime membership in LifeSPAN fits into the family’s future plans. The cost of the Future Planning Consultation may be refundable if the family decides to join as a lifetime member after the Consultation is completed.

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The initial membership fee is $1000. This fee covers the Future Planning Consultation and some of the initial meeting times with the facilitator, once one is hired. The annual membership renewal is $500.

In addition to the annual membership fee, the family is expected to pay* for the network facilitation at a rate of $45/hour. The number of hours needed each year varies depending on the specific needs and desires of each family. Establishing the network may take from 20-50 hours during the first year. Facilitating an established network takes fewer hours, but the exact number will depend on how frequently the network meets and how often the family wants the facilitator to meet with the family member with a disability. LifeSPAN expects families to commit to at least 12 hours per year of facilitation.

Here is a chart to help you estimate costs (these are just estimates):

*Note: The facilitation fees may be paid for by the family member with a disability if she has her own income or assets. Kathy Sellars, a founding LifeSPAN board member, strongly advocates for families to consider using the person’s own assets for this purpose. She has heard of many cases of families attempting to “save” the person’s money only to find out that the person has amassed so much savings that she no longer qualifies for much-needed personal assistance.

Because LifeSPAN intends to make a lifetime commitment to maintain a network of support for your family member with a disability, it is crucial that the family arrange for the costs of the network to be covered after they are deceased. One of the requirements for lifetime membership in LifeSPAN is for the family to execute a will setting up a trust for the family member with a disability, which instructs the Trustee(s) to pay LifeSPAN for services as required. The family is expected to provide a copy of the relevant sections of the will to LifeSPAN within one year of applying for lifetime membership.

Good question. Families in LifeSPAN can offer referrals to lawyers they have worked with who know how to ensure that the proper language is included in your will. In addition, you can learn much more about this topic at the LifeSPAN “Wills and Estates” Workshop.

The current lifetime members in LifeSPAN know first hand that creating a will can feel like an overwhelming task. However, the sense of relief once it’s written is worth it.

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This is the most important reason to join. You don’t have to figure this out all on your own. LifeSPAN and PLAN have found that each person — no matter what the disability — has the potential for creating meaningful relationships.

Through the Family History and the Future Planning Consultation, the LifeSPAN Facilitator Coordinator will help your family begin to identify potential members for the network. Once the facilitator for your network is hired, that person will work closely with you to establish the network. It is part of their job to think reatively and identify potential network members.

We have never heard of a network that could not attract members to it. In fact, many families have found that every single person they invited to join gladly accepted the invitation.

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In LifeSPAN (and PLAN) we believe that everyone needs a network of support! For some of us, it’s just easier to create that network of support on our own than it is for others.

LifeSPAN’s and PLAN’s networks serve people with significant disabilities and mild disabilities. Some individuals are very involved in creating their own networks because they are very capable of doing that. Others depend heavily on their family members and LifeSPAN members and staff to do the majority of the work in establishing the network.

The purpose of creating a network is to help ensure “a good life” for your loved one. Families generally know whether the person can do it on his own or might need some help. LifeSPAN is here to offer that help.