End Of Life Planning 101

I have significant concerns about anyone using books, free eBooks or others, as their sole source for end-of-life planning.

If financially significant assets are involved, a top-notch accountant is needed. Even if the assets are emotionally but not monetarily valuable, such an accountant should be consulted so your stuff is not confiscated/sold off by government or creditors. Top-notch accountants are good not just on purely tax matters, but also whether, if you have or might in the future receive “government assistance”, the government may come after whatever you leave behind in order to get reimbursed for “insurance”, healthcare, housing subsidies, and so on.

Another crucial aspect is, in the event you are unable to make decisions concerning your medical care (the exact terminology varies from state-to-state, but generally is called a “Durable Power Of Attorney For Healthcare” or “Durable Medical Power Of Attorney”): Who is the one person you would literally trust with your life to 1) Stand up to the medical authoritarians; 2) Properly research what the medical authoritarians are doing, or want to do, to you? Never ever sign off on language that lets MD(s) decide what happens to you--unless you trust MDs, and in that event may your accelerated death be quick, relatively painless, and peaceful.

Once you have decided who you trust with your life, then you need to have at least one backup, in case your first choice is unable or unwilling to serve.

Since HELLspitals frequently ignore what patients or their protectors want done, you need to make provision for an attorney with BBV (Balls, Brains, Vision) to take the HELLspital to Court and to the cleaners, no-holds-barred. Good luck on that…and yet you need to have at least one on standby to protect yourself. Much of the legal and medical profession share the same bed, and as George Carlin would say, “It’s a big club and you ain’t in it”.

On the topic of attorneys, end-of-life and estate planning books are good for giving you things to ponder. Books, unlike attorneys, aren’t charging you hundreds of dollars per hour for your thinking things through. Far too many attorneys just fill in the blanks on forms, and are not well-versed on things like the complexities of life, the predatory nature of governments and the medical profession, and changes in the laws.

Whatever your plan, have it reviewed periodically in case it needs to be updated in light of changes in the law. Hopefully if there are changes in your life that affect your plans, you will promptly update your documents without waiting for a “periodic review”.