Nothing to Fear
Would you rather start a revolution, or visit the Galápagos Islands? Those are just two of the diverse ‘Before I Die’ goals written down by those attending our meeting on 19th May, at which BHA celebrant Trevor Moore encouraged us to talk about the ‘D’ word – death.
The catalyst for the discussion came from Dying Matters Awareness Week, which had taken place the previous week (see their website here). The aim of the event is not only to help everyone to consider death and dying as part of life, but also to persuade people to address practical issues that will make life easier for those they leave behind when they die.
Trevor spoke of the importance of making a will, if you don’t want your estate to be distributed in unexpected ways (due to the law that applies on intestacy).
If you want doctors to respect your wishes as to the treatment you would like if you are terminally ill, you should consider making an Advance Decision (previously known as a ‘living will’) – you can find out more here.
Equally important is the question of making so-called Lasting Powers of Attorney, to give one or more others the power to make decisions on key matters for you, in the event of your losing the mental capacity to make them yourself.
These Powers of Attorney can separately address your health and medical care, as well as your financial affairs. There are prescribed paperwork and procedures for these – information is available here. You may need to wrap a cold towel round your head to get through it all, but it is worth persevering.
So what’s stopping YOU?
