Here in Carroll, Ohio, we get to enjoy our own local history along with easy access to Columbus, Lancaster, and more. It's no wonder that so many seniors choose to enjoy their retirement years here.
Once you're ready to pick your retirement community, you're ready to start making end of life decisions. Advance care planning can create more ease for you and your family members at an otherwise difficult time.
What are the steps we recommend seniors take to get their assets in order, map out their healthcare decisions, and more? Read on for our comprehensive guide to end of life planning.
End of life decisions don't stop and start with senior healthcare choices. Before you get into the practical considerations, assess your personal beliefs and the values that may determine how you proceed.
Your religious beliefs may impact the options available to your family after you pass. For example, your religion may have specific rules surrounding cremation versus burials.
Your values may also affect estate planning for seniors. It's helpful to consider any organizations or charities you'd wish to donate parts of your estate to before setting anything in stone.
Whether or not you're ready to move into an assisted living community, now is a great time to decide where you'd like to live. Oftentimes, seniors move into assisted living communities in response to changes in health, and having a plan in advance can reduce stress and other complications.
When selecting a Carroll assisted living community, make sure you're considering factors such as:
The earlier you start looking, the easier it will be to review your options and secure a spot at the assisted living community in Carroll, OH, of your choosing.
End of life planning is designed to help you and your family navigate decision-making when you are incapacitated in some way. Typically, this involves a medical power of attorney (aka healthcare proxy). This designated person, who we'll discuss more below, makes medical decisions on your behalf when you are unable to.
Some seniors choose to pre-determine their medical preferences, which reduces the need for a legal representative to make their own decisions. This is the difference between a living will vs. a healthcare proxy with no directives. For example, you may choose what types of life-saving measures you would want healthcare professionals to employ if necessary.
Whether or not you choose to create a living will, it's important that you choose legal representatives for end of life care. This includes your medical power of attorney. It should also include your financial power of attorney.
Many seniors designate the same person to fulfill the same role. The key is to select a person (or people) who you believe are responsible and trustworthy enough to make decisions on your behalf.
This is also the time to think about who will execute your will and oversee the distribution of your assets. In Ohio, this person is fittingly called your executor. This can be a trusted family member or friend, but this job is often left to a legal professional.
Estate planning for seniors isn't just about deciding who will receive your assets after you pass. It also encourages seniors to estimate how much money they'll need to support their lifestyles in retirement.
This is yet another reason why it's useful to select a senior living community in Carroll, OH, even if you're not quite ready to move in. Assisted living can streamline the majority of your costs, including the cost of:
Learn more about the cost of assisted living to put together a more accurate estimate and better assess how much money you'll be leaving behind.
Let's talk a little bit more about estate planning. This umbrella term encompasses a lot of the individual components we've outlined here. By working with an estate planning attorney, you will create the legal paperwork necessary to ensure your wishes are met.
When working with an estate planning attorney, you can expect to:
The National Institute on Aging provides a helpful overview of the documents you'll need when meeting with your estate planning attorney.
After your passing, your surviving family members will be dealing with both their grief over your loss and any accompanying legal matters. One way that you can lessen the burden is by outlining your funeral preferences, such as:
It may be useful to start by finding a funeral home in Carroll, Ohio, which you can do using this Yelp guide.
Finally, it's important that your loved ones know what to expect from your end of life decisions. At the very least, meet with your legal representatives to discuss:
By looping everyone in, you can reduce confusion and ensure swift decision-making when the time comes.
Thorough estate planning makes it much easier to navigate end of life decisions. It can be equally as beneficial to choose a senior living community before you need to move in.
Carroll Place Assisted Living is a beloved community in Carroll, Ohio. Our staff works hard to meet each resident's physical, emotional, and social needs, and our cutting-edge programs support that mission. Schedule a tour to see if Carroll Place is right for you.