The Importance of End-of-Life Planning

Everyone wants to have control over their own life and their own health.

However, as you get older, there may come a time when you are unable to be completely in control. Many people reach a place in life when they have complex care needs, and they may not always be capable of making decisions on their own.

If this is something that you are concerned about, end-of-life planning and advanced directives are two issues that you might want to consider carefully.

 End-of-life planning allows for people to have control over the treatment and care that they receive. It can involve things such as planning for pain management, what sort of environment you would like to live and receive care in, and what type of care you want to receive.

 Just over a quarter of Americans have an advanced care document in place, which allows them to set out their wishes for these things and have them carried out if necessary. It can be difficult to face the reality of this type of future planning.

Many people don't like to think about it and avoid planning ahead for the end of their life. Thinking about getting older and perhaps developing a chronic illness or being disabled isn't something that many people like to do. However, spending some time thinking about what you would want the end of your life to look like or how you would prefer long-term care to be delivered to you is practical.

There is a high chance of requiring long-term care before reaching the age of 65.
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