End Of Life Planning
What about when you are no longer able to take part in the decision-making?
CRS makes sure that your finances and, more importantly, that you are looked after once you are no longer able to do it yourself. In doing so, we create something called your Square Squad – the people in whom you place trust and faith to have your best interests at the heart of the decisions that they may have to make on your behalf.
Your Finances
At some point, it may come to pass that you are no longer able to manage your own financial affairs. Before you get to that point, it would be wise to consider who would be best suited to take over the management of your finances. This is not an easy decision and it may change over time. You need to choose a person in whom you have utmost trust and with whom you have an open dialogue around your needs and wants. It could be two people working together – such as your Financial Planner and a Family Member. The options need to be fleshed out and fully analyzed before a decision can be made.
Your Living Circumstances
There will also come a time when decisions must be made about where you live and who will care for you if you are unable to care for yourself. In order to avoid conflict and in order to ensure that your wishes are honoured, it is wise to think through your needs and wants and to formulate a plan. This can then be shared with the people that will be around you and who will have to execute these decisions in due course. Considerations would include private nursing versus frail care, making the decisions that you are no longer able to care for yourself, when to stop driving, when you should be moved into a care facility etc.
Your Health
Another thing to consider as you grow old is what choices you might be faced with regarding your health and your medical care. There may come a time where comfort supersedes cure and you need to have discussed your wishes with your family. They need to know when enough is enough and what you expect them to do when faced with impossible decisions.
Your Personal Items
Your personal items are important and often carry intangible value. You need to have a clear plan on what will happen with items of a personal or sentimental nature. Writing a Letter of Wishes provides clarity for your family around who you would like to keep which of your personal effects. The same Letter of Wishes could be used with your Estate Plan.
Your Last Wishes
The last things that your family should have to grapple with after losing you is trying to figure out what you would have wanted. Having an express plan for your funeral / memorial / remains removes stress from an already emotional situation.