*** Time for this post?  Reading…5 minutes. Listening…4 minutes. Smiling…for as long as you can!

You’ve made your Will.

That’s a good thing.

Maybe you’ve asked the lawyer to prepare your Power of Attorney at the same time.

Even better.

But there’s more to consider…

Your Will and Power of Attorney direct what happens to your money and belongings.  But what about you, your person, your being?

After you’ve died, what do you want done with your body? How do you want to be memorialized? Who do you want notified of your passing? Who will know what you want? No one, unless you tell them.That’s why you should write a Last Wishes Letter.

As you age, what if you are no longer able to live alone in your home?  Where do you want to be cared for? Suppose you are very ill and in the hospital. Do you want to stay there or be moved to a hospice? Do you want medical staff to use heroic measures to prolong your life…or not? Who will make these personal decisions for you when you can’t? How will they know what to do? These are serious questions for those looking after you. You make it a lot easier for them if you’ve documented your wishes in a Personal Directive, sometimes called a Living Will, Advance Directive, or Health Care Directive)

Here’s one more scenario. Suppose, as you age, you are still mentally competent but medical appointments and information have become daunting at the same time as your medical conditions are becoming more complicated. You’d like your adult children to be able to speak to your doctor to clarify. Because of strict privacy laws these days, doctors are not at liberty to divulge information about you to anyone, not even family, unless you have completed a Supported Decision-Making Authorization.

The full picture…

So…that makes a total of five documents. Some apply when you are alive, others only after you have died. Each is important in its own sphere of influence. Here’s the full picture. Click here for a printable version.

All except your Last Wishes Letter are legal documents, but only the Will and Power of Attorney require visiting a lawyer. The Personal Directive and Supported Decision-Making Authorization  must be witnessed, but you can fill out the forms yourself and arrange to have your signature witnessed.

More about these remaining documents over the next couple weeks. In the meantime, while you digest and assimilate this big picture,  here’s something to lift your spirits…

Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. The idea for this project came from a belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. You can listen to many more of their Songs Around The World on their website.

Next week…Personal Directives. If there are questions you’d like addressed, leave them in the comment box below so I can include the answers next week.

Please note: Laws vary between provinces, states, and countries. I’m using information from where I live to illustrate principles, but you will need to check the details in your jurisdiction. The Internet is a good place to start.