Take Care of Yourself and Prepare Yourself, Finalize Future Plans

Helpful Highlights

• This segment is part of our larger Guide, Take Care of Yourself and Prepare Yourself, the Art of Anticipation.

• This is one of five points made in the larger Guide and specific to finalizing plans for the future.

Take the results of the crucial conversations about future planning, disability, and death and formalize them with legal and financial documentation. Use those documents to inform other family members of the decisions made. Provide these documents to your loved one’s attorney, primary care physician, financial advisor, appropriate family members, and clergy (if desired). This actually removes anticipation, which is a good thing here, because the actions desired and required have already been decided.

Legal documents comprise:

• power of attorney (durable, medical, or both)

• advanced directives or living will

• advanced planning

• last will

• contracts with mortuaries and cemeteries (or whoever will handle final disposition) 

Financial documentation should include an itemized list of the following that your loved one utilizes:

• financial institutions

• creditors

• financial advisors

• utility companies

• other regularly paid entities

• account numbers, contact information, and logins/passwords for each

No content in this app, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician; or any direct legal advice you receive from your lawyer or other qualified legal professionals; or direct advice from a licensed insurance broker or other qualified plan-payer professional.