Your CartSitting at my desk this morning in the pre-dawn hours, I found myself reflecting back over the past year. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been able to participate in and the people I have met in 2022. The stories individuals have shared with me regarding their past and present experiences dealing with a sudden illness or loss have only solidified my resolve to assist those seeking a solution to being better prepared...sooner rather than later.
Speaking to older adults is a bit different than speaking to those in their 30's and 40's. Most of the older adults have already experienced the loss of loved ones or are in the midst of caring for loved ones who are incapacitated in some way. Often, the younger adults have only been on the periphery watching their parents or grandparents go through this stage of life but not fully realizing the emotional impact, the time involved, or the depth of loss they are truly experiencing.
It's often a sudden crisis such as a car accident, medical diagnosis, or a sudden unexpected death of a friend or someone near their age, that jolts them into reality that age really doesn't matter. Yes, the older we get the greater our odds that something is going to happen but no one is immune to what will inevitably happen to all of us. It really is a matter of WHEN rather than IF. This a reality we cannot deny or escape.
Refusal to acknowledge or prepare for these inevitable events only compounds the anxiety and distress our loved ones or representatives will go through when the time comes! Decision making is much more difficult during times of stress. The easiest tasks on any given day become monumental hurdles to climb. Subject matters we may be familiar with suddenly become more difficult to understand or navigate.
It truly isn't enough to just have a Will, Power of Attorney, or Healthcare Representative created. It isn't enough to have your financial portfolio in order. It isn't enough to have a life insurance policy. It isn't enough to pre-plan your funeral arrangements. All are helpful – but they are only the tip of the iceberg as to what needs to be prepared! We just don't realize the magnitude of the inevitable until we are going through it. Until it falls upon us to make the difficult health care decisions for our loved one. Until we are tasked with administering an estate, cleaning out and dispersing a lifetime of belongings, going through drawers and boxes of accumulated paperwork just to find one important document. I could go on and on but you get the idea.
Finally being able to get out and speak to groups this year and being able to hear other peoples stories and concerns, reinforces what I have witnessed over the past 40 years working in this field. There is so much more we can all do to prepare for when the time comes! To make these transitions easier on our loved ones and representatives. To ease the burdens they will be faced with.
Don't look at it as estate planning. Look at the preparation as life planning. I assure you, taking care of this now, regardless of your age, will give you such peace of mind. Knowing that not only will your personal wishes regarding care during a medical crisis be known, but that you have also made it so much easier for anyone who will be responsible for administering your estate. This in itself, brings peace of mind and freedom to live life to the fullest knowing that you have given one of the greatest gifts to your loved ones.