- Have you made a will?
- Do you have property that should be in a trust?
- Are you up-to-date with a Living Will and HIPAA documents?
- Have you appointed a Medical and/or Financial Power of Attorney?
In 2010 my 83-year-old father had knee surgery which led to a series of strokes while hospitalized. It was the beginning of my journey with end-of-life planning.
Mom and Dad had issues with Social Security, Medicare, HIPAA, Military Benefits, Assisted Living and Memory Care, personal property and bills, as well as POA, trusts, and basic everyday living. They had absolutely no plan in place.
I had to learn from the ground up how to navigate every one of the above issues. Like most people, I turned to the internet for guidance. Most of what I found was commercial ads for companies or professional entities. I realized people needed a starting point for end-of-life planning.
Whether we are building a house, planning a website, or taking a vacation, we need a blueprint of some sort. The same is true for our end-of-life planning. Many things must be learned, researched, sorted, shared, documented, stored, archived, and implemented.
It’s not easy. Sadly, the worst thing a person can do is ignore the future obligations coming their way.
All families need tools to design an end-of-life plan. They need help in finding resources. They need access to experts for advice, and possibly specialty products to keep individuals, families, and caretakers organized, healthy, and safe.
If you have ever had to deal with even one of the above, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be for the family.
Have you thought about the difficulties you would be facing if a loved one becomes incapacitated and unable to speak for themselves?
Would your family be able to take care of you if you needed long-term care?
***See my personal story on Assisted Living page.***