No one wants to think about their own passing, but if you want to have control over your last days, planning for end-of-life care is essential.
Regardless of your health status right now, a solid plan can give you peace of mind, protect your last wishes from unexpected events and reduce the burden on your loved ones when the time comes. Below are some considerations you might want to take.
Select the end-of-life care option you want
When a person is near death, they have several end-of-life care options to choose from. The best choice depends on one’s medical needs, quality of life and personal beliefs, but ultimately, you can choose the type of care that closely aligns with your values and preferences.
Here are several common options:
- Hospice: For individuals with terminal illness not seeking curative treatment, focusing on comfort and quality of life. Hospice is available at home, in hospitals or at hospice facilities.
- Palliative care: Symptom relief and quality of life improvement, available at any illness stage alongside curative treatments.
- Home care: End-of-life care is provided at a patient’s own home.
- Hospital care: For complex medical needs requiring hospital-based support.
Whichever option you choose, you must include it in your formal advance directives, such as a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. An estate planning attorney can help you prepare the necessary documents.
Outline your medical decisions
Aside from where you want to receive care, you should also decide what kind of procedures you want to undergo. For example, you can identify what treatments you want to accept and which ones you don’t. You may also refuse life-sustaining treatments, such as resuscitation, to avoid prolonging suffering.
It’s important to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so. This can be a friend, family member or caregiver. You can formally give them the role through a durable power of attorney.
Discuss your plan with loved ones
Most importantly, have open and honest conversations with family members and close friends about your wishes and any plans you have made. Doing so will help them understand and support your decisions, especially when they need to advocate for you when you cannot communicate your preferences yourself.
Furthermore, it will avoid giving anyone the heavy burden of making a choice during a stressful time.
