A few years ago, when a friend learned that we share a love for Warren Zevon, he told me that he wanted Zevon’s songs “I Have to Leave,” “My Ride’s Here,” and “Keep Me in Your Heart” played at his funeral—in that order. Not only did this conversation prompt me to think about what songs I’d like for my own curtain call, but my friend’s funeral mixtape plans also helped me understand that end-of-life planning doesn’t have to be an exercise in existential nihilism. Here’s how you can prepare yourself and your family for end of life—without feeling like you’re staring into the void.
What end of life planning do you need?
There are a few important documents and decisions you need to have in place for your end-of-life planning. These include:
Living will
If you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself, an advance directive gives guidance to your loved ones and medical team about what kinds of treatment you would prefer.
Typically, an advance directive includes a living will, which spells out which common medical treatments you would want, which you would like to avoid, and if there are any conditions that affect those choices.
Some of the types of medical care you may want to address in your living will include:
- CPR
- Breathing machine or ventilator
- Dialysis
- Feeding tube or artificial hydration
- Blood transfusions
- Surgery
The living will is also where you can indicate your preferences for organ donation.
There are a number of free online resources for creating your advance directive, such as CaringInfo, which will provide you with your state’s advance directive forms.
