Planning Ahead for Peace of Mind Create Legal Advance Directives to Help Carry Out Your Medical and Financial Wishes
Peace of mind comes with making a plan, especially when it comes to expressing your wishes for your medical care, your finances and your desires about the end of your life and after you die. Legal advance directives are documents that give others the authority and directions to carry out your wishes when you are unable to or when it’s more convenient for someone you trust to do so for you. Four Essential Legal Documents Advance directives are legal tools that ensure a person’s wishes concerning their healthcare
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and finances are carried out should they become unable to express them. Everyone should have these documents on file no matter what their age. If you are helping your loved one create their advance directives, consider using this as an opportunity to write down your own desires and file your own advance directives. Documents you and your loved one should have include: • A living will; • A healthcare power of attorney; • A will; and • A durable power of attorney. Aging Resources 2021–2022