How to Talk to Parents About the Future
Why is it so hard to talk to our elderly parents about getting older, needing help, or planning for being dependent? Sometimes the parents just can’t face it. Sometimes they are in denial about their own aging and are afraid of the future. Who can blame them? No one wants to picture themselves needing help with walking, bathing, toileting or eating. But it happens, and so must the conversation. If crisis hits, and no one has addressed the subject...Read the rest of this article »Related Articles
The Legacy Project: What is It & How It Can Help
What is the Legacy Project? A legacy is a gift from one generation to the next. Although a legacy can be considered anything from a monetary gift to a special talent or even a keepsake handed down from one generation to the next, in this instance we would like to discuss a more complex and distinctive legacy—the legacy of a person’s history, thoughts, hopes, dreams and wishes and what those will mean to a future generation. When a person...Read the rest of this article »Related Articles
Writing Your Ethical Will
An ethical will is another way for an individual to allow others into their personal thoughts, hopes and philosophies. An ethical will is not a legal document as compared to a living will, which is an important legal document. An Ethical Will is just one of many parts of a Legacy Project, where a person can bring in friends and family to share their life experience. Find out more about the Legacy Project. Sitting Down & Writing an Ethical...Read the rest of this article »Related Articles
Seniors: When is it Time to "Let Go" of Control?
There comes a point for many aging seniors when they must defer control to a person they trust to make their decisions for them. While it may seem a long ways away, the ideal time to designate that person is while you’re still competent and able. What’s more, it is crucial to specify, via documentation, the person (or people) you choose to make decisions for you regarding legal matters, financial matters and more. For health-related decisions, an advanced health...Read the rest of this article »Related Articles
Advance Planning: Making Tough End of Life Decisions
Several months ago, I received a copy of a very thought-provoking book, The Best Way to Say Goodbye: A Legal Peaceful Choice at the End of Life, by Stanley A. Terman, PhD, MD. It is an exhaustive resource on a method that can be used to end one’s life through the voluntary refusal of food and fluids. It is difficult for most people to discuss end of life. It only gets more difficult when you consider when and under...Read the rest of this article »Related Articles
