Getting Your Affairs in Order

Death is an uncomfortable topic for many people to discuss, especially with their loved ones. Differing religious and personal values influence the way everyone copes with death, and thus, there is no specific formula for planning the end of your life. However, preparing for your death and making informed decisions about the end of your life will remove this responsibility from your loved ones, allowing them space and time to grieve their loss.

Talk About Your Death
Before you start the legal process of organizing your financial and medical affairs, you need to confront your own fears about dying. Talk to your spiritual leader about your religious beliefs, your doctor about your health and the physical process of dying, and your lawyer about different legal options. You should also discuss your personal beliefs and values about dying with your family and close friends. Once you become comfortable talking about the end of your life, you can begin the legal planning for your death.

Financial Planning
Financial planning is easier and less controversial than medical planning. The most important part of financial planning is creating a will or trust documents. Have your lawyer double-check everything to make sure there are no flaws or discrepancies in these documents. You also need to appoint someone to be in charge of your insurance information. Keeping all your policies organized and in a safe place will help your family and friends better deal with the financial affairs of your death.

Medical Planning
Medical decisions tend to have more ethical and legal complications than financial decisions. Americans have the right to end their medical treatment at any time. Likewise, they can also request to receive treatment, even against a doctor's recommendation. People can also appoint an agent to be in charge of their medical decisions when they become unable to make these decisions for themselves.

Advance Directives
Many people write advance directives, which are instructions that detail a person's request about medical care and treatment. There are two types of advance directives, the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and the Living Will.

The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care appoints an agent to make decisions for you when you become unable. You can let them make the decisions on their own or you can give them instructions on certain treatments you want or do not want at the end of your life, including life-sustaining procedures. It's also a good idea to give your agent access to your medical records so he or she can make more informed decisions about your medical care.

The Living Will only gives instructions for life-sustaining medical care; it does not appoint an agent to make decisions for you. If you can no longer make medical decisions for yourself, then your physicians and family will decide the best course of action.