Jena, May 22, 2026. On Saturday, May 30, 2026, the Volkshochschule Jena is offering two comprehensive information events regarding the topic of advance directives. The offer is explicitly aimed at deaf people as well, as both sessions will be accompanied by sign language interpreters.
- Topic: Advance healthcare directive, power of attorney, and care directive
- Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
- Times: Part 1 from 10:00 AM | Part 2 from 2:00 PM to 4:15 PM
- Location: Office of the Volkshochschule Jena, Grietgasse, Jena
- Speaker: Renate Heck-Schönauer (Jurist)
- Cost: Admission is free; prior registration is not required.
Accessible Education in the Grietgasse
Those who can no longer make their own decisions in an emergency require legally sound advance directives. To shed light on the bureaucratic jungle, the Volkshochschule (vhs) Jena is organizing a two-part information day at its office in the Grietgasse.
The jurist Renate Heck-Schönauer will explain the legal foundations of powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and care directives, and will address individual questions from participants. Through the continuous accompaniment of professional sign language interpreters, access to this essential legal information is guaranteed to be completely barrier-free for deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens.
Guide: The Three Pillars of Personal Precaution
Legal experts and consumer advocates strongly advise addressing the topic of precaution early on. The following three documents are at the center of this:
- 1. Power of Attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht): This authorizes a trusted person to act on one’s behalf in an emergency. It concerns business, financial, and organizational matters and usually prevents the appointment of a legal guardian by the local court (Amtsgericht).
- 2. Advance Healthcare Directive (Patientenverfügung): This records in writing which medical measures, examinations, or life-sustaining interventions are desired or explicitly rejected in the event of one’s own inability to make decisions.
- 3. Care Directive (Betreuungsverfügung): This takes effect if the court must nevertheless appoint a legal guardian. It can specify who should take on this task (or who is definitely not suitable for it).
Since laws and personal life situations can change over the years, it is recommended to check the documents for updates every two to three years and to confirm this with a new signature.
Source:
Advance directives explained
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.