Following Seth’s accident, I wasn’t ready to do anything. I was lost in a forest of helplessness—each tree representing a wish, a mistake, a memory, a hope, a dream, a nightmare, an impossible task. Once I came through the other side, I had to take what I’d learned through our experience and do something with it. I truly believe that God has a plan, and no, that does not mean I believe that God did this to Seth in an act of vengeance. What I mean is that this happened to our family, and because of that, I have an opportunity to educate others about what happens when we refuse to think about the scary things that life may bring.
We can’t ever predict what’s going to happen in our lives, but we can prepare as best as possible. And one of the ways I stay on top of my plans and documents is to give them the occasional spring clean!
Just like your home (and maybe that neglected garage that still needs to be cleaned out), your end of life and emergency plans can use the occasional spring clean to make sure documents are up-to-date and reflect your current wishes. Check out these tips to help spring-clean your end of life and emergency plans!
1. Review your last will and testament
It’s good practice to take a look at your last will and testament every so often, to ensure it’s up to date and accurate! If changes are needed, you should make them promptly and have an attorney review them.
2. Review your advanced medical directive
Whether your health has changed or not, you may have different wishes for the medical care you would receive in the event you become incapacitated. Any changes to your medical wishes should be included in your advanced medical directive, and any involved medical practitioner should be made aware of those changes.
3. Review your financial and medical power of attorney
Your power of attorney names who can speak on your behalf when it comes to medical and/or financial matters, so it’s a good idea to review them for accuracy! If changes are needed, it’s best to speak to an attorney who can guide you on how to update the documents.
4. Review any instructions to loved ones
If you’ve left instructions for loved ones, now’s a good time to review them and make any necessary updates or changes to your wishes. While these don’t need to be formalized by an attorney, it’s a good idea to have your loved ones review them as well and know where to find your documents.
5. Make sure you know where your documents are
It’s not a spring clean if you don’t find something you thought was lost forever, but don’t let those be your end of life documents! It’s best to know where they are and to share that information with loved ones so your documents and plans are easily accessible in the event of an emergency.
Let the warm spring breeze motivate you to do a spring clean of your end of life and emergency plans so that you can go into the new season confident that you’re ready for anything life throws your way!
We are not providing legal advice. All estate planning varies from state to state. Please seek an attorney in your state for specific information and details.