Do you know who would care for you if you suddenly fell ill?
Most people don’t according to a study by charity Independent Age[1] found many older people avoided talking about incapacity and ageing.
The survey of 2,000 people revealed over 60 per cent of 65-plus people hadn’t discussed their end-of-life wishes with their family. Another quarter had no plans to talk about it.
The conversation we have to have
While it’s a hard topic to bring up at the dinner table, the fact is we will all die and accidents and sudden illness can affect us at any age.
Ninety per cent of Australians have never told their family and friends about their wishes concerning end-of-life care and death. But we need to plan now if we want to make specific decisions about our health.
Remember: if you end up in palliative care, you may not be able to communicate your wishes to others.
Most people picture passing away peacefully at home, but this is often not the case. Around fifty per cent of Australians die in hospital – another 30 plus per cent in aged care[2].
With our ageing population only set to rise[2], now is the time to prepare for a ‘good death’.
We have a list of list of legal documents for preparing an end-of-life plan here on agedcare101.
[1] ‘Conversations about Care’ survey by ComRes for Independent Age – April 2016
[2] Grattan Institute’s ‘Dying well’ report by Hal Swerissen and Stephen Duckett – September 2014
Preparing for death – tips for what you need to do
- Write a will and set up an advanced care plan for your family and doctor.
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Make certified copies of legal documents and store them all securely.
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Create an up-to-date list of personal details such as bank accounts, credits cards, medical records etc.
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Choose an enduring guardian who can make health and care decisions for you.
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Put down any burial or cremation requests.
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Sort out any outstanding financial matters and make sure money can be easily accessed if you are paying for your own funeral.
