How to Organise End of Life Planning
Funeral Directors
When someone starts to approach old age, they need to plan for the care that they’ll want to receive at the end of their life.
This care pertains to their health and wellbeing after they reach an age where they can no longer take care of themselves. In some cases, they might not have the ability to tell anyone at that point when they need help.
To avoid being cared for improperly, every person approaching the end of their life needs to plan for who is going to take care of them. They also need to plan on where they are going to be cared for and what medical treatments they will need.
They’ll even need to make funeral arrangements for after they pass away. With all this information planned and documented, the person’s family members will know exactly how to care for their loved one during the last years of their life and upon their death.
Part of that planning may be done by a local funeral director, a family member or a religious cleric. Here are some of the things you may want to add to your list of things to do.
Medical Care
The first step at the end of life planning is to determine what your medical needs are likely to be. Make a list of all your medical problems, including illnesses and disabilities, and then write down the symptoms of those issues.
Next to these items, write down the medications which you take to reduce or relieve these symptoms.
If you need medical supplies and special equipment as part of your care, list all those items and how much they cost.
Some examples of these items may include wheelchairs, hospital beds, heart monitor, oxygen tank, and so on. For more information on medical care planning, click here.
Housing and Accommodation
The next big step is to plan for where you’re going to live the last days of your life. If your health problems are going to prevent you from taking care of yourself in your own home, then you’ll need to decide how you will get this additional care that you require.
Are you going to live in a nursing care facility or are you going to have a nurse visit your house? Both options are excellent, but your financial situation will likely play a key role in which one you decide.
You might find it better to stay in your own home if you don’t need 24-hour care and then just have a nurse routinely visit your home. This will not only be cheaper, but it will give you a better feeling of independence by being able to remain in your home.
Funeral Arrangements
The day will eventually come when you pass away. When this happens, your family will be left to deal with the funeral arrangements.
It is essential for you to plan out your funeral arrangements so that your family can honour your wishes. You’ll first want to decide whether you want to be cremated or buried. Then you’ll want to choose where your ashes will go if you choose cremation.
If you choose to be buried, then you need to choose which cemetery that you want to be in. From there, you can contact the proper funeral home and make future arrangements with them. Some funeral homes even let you prepay for your funeral so that your family won’t be left with those costs.
Financial Arrangements
Australians are entitled to Medicare. It is a publicly funded way to pay for their emergency health care needs. However, Medicare does not cover home nursing or nursing home care. You will need to purchase private health insurance which assists in paying for these costs.
Alternatively, if you have a serious illness that requires palliative care services, then Medicare will cover these costs. All other expenses should be planned for with a retirement account. You may even want to give power of attorney to a close family member that you can trust with your finances.
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