End of Year Personal Report Card
As the year draws to an end, this is a time to review the year from a variety of perspectives. Often, an individual’s financial health is the one area that gets the most focus. Evaluating the status of investments, retirement contributions and making last-minute donations to charitable organizations are the top areas of attention. Some individuals take advantage of funds left in their Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and get needed dental work, glasses or other medical services that have been delayed.
Financial health, and physical assessments and treatments, are not the only areas to address. A key area is a review of your Advance Directive paperwork, this is crucial for individuals of all ages as serious accidents or illness can occur at any time of life. Consider:
- Do you have an Advance Directive?
- Does your Living Will reflect your current wishes?
- Have you had a health crisis since outlining your wishes and your forms need modifications?
- Are your choices of Healthcare Surrogate and Financial Power of Attorney still appropriate?
- Are those individuals still able to carry out your wishes?
- Are any home modifications needed to remain safe, and age in place?
- Do you need to purchase Long Term Care Insurance?
- Do you need to self-fund for long term care needs?
- Is your Last Will & Testament up to date and reflect your current wishes?
Resources for Advance Directives include The Five Wishes, Death Over Dinner and The Conversation Project. The holidays are a great time to share your wishes with family, allay their concerns and address any questions that surface. Having your family around to hear from you directly what your end-of-life wishes are, and how you want to be cared for when you are unable to share your care wishes, is a gift. It often is a very hard gift to share, due to the emotions associated with recognizing that you are sharing how you want to live while dying. Once shared, you will experience peace of mind and know if there are any issues between family members that need to be resolved.
Check out Home HospiceNavigation: The Caregiver’s Guide for additional information. Free resources and links available at www.JudithSands.com