Retirement can be a rewarding time in your life where you can focus exclusively on your life pursuits. Nevertheless, at some point in your life, you may find yourself in a situation where you need a medical procedure or your mental capacity diminished. No one wants to think in those terms, of course, but you should be prepared for it if it does happen. In order to avoid having your family fight about your care if you are incapacitated, you need a living will or some type of life directives in place to make clear of your wishes when you cannot express them on your own.

An advance directive is a legal document that you help create with your attorney who states what kind of medical treatment and procedures you want or do not want on the chance that you happen to become incapable to communicate them yourself. Basically, there are two types of these directives you should know about – a durable power of attorney and a living will. These are both legally binding documents that you can either create on your own using a template or you can employ the services of an attorney to handle it. Each state differs slightly in what types of documents will be recognized legally. You have the power to adapt these documents as time goes on or get rid of them all together.

A living will spells out your wishes in terms of your medical care and treatment. Discuss whether you wish to be resuscitated if you stop breathing. Do you want to be kept alive on a respirator and/or with feeding tubes? There are a lot of gray areas you have to consider, so you will need to really think hard about your wishes.

A durable power of attorney authorizes a person you designate to make your medical edicts, should you be unable to voice them yourself. This person with the power of attorney does not always have to be a family member, just someone you trust completely to abide by your wishes.

It is the responsible thing to do to draw up a power of attorney and a living will. That way there are no mistakes or misinterpretations about your health care in the event that something happens to you. Be sure to create specific instructions so there is no doubt in the mind of the surrogate, the person who you give power of attorney to, as to what you would want done. This is especially important for end-of-life decisions.

While you are still of sound mind and sound body, take the time to discuss your wishes of medical treatment, health care and end-of-life wishes with your spouse or significant other as well as close family members, your primary doctor and even your priest. With many people knowing your wishes, it would be easier to decide what to do for those close to you should your suffer a catastrophe accident that incapacitates you before you had a change to draw up the power of attorney or living will.

Don’t put off this necessary step of your life. No one wants to think about dying. But think about the stress your family will go through if you don’t have an advance directive in place and they have to make crucial decisions about whether or not to prolong your life. Don’t force them to make such agonizing decisions; take charge of your life and create those necessary advance directives at the earliest opportunity.

Summary: Have a living will so that you don’t force love ones to have to make the agonizing decisions of making life and death choices for you.

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