2 Things We Can Learn About End-of-Life Planning from Prince Philip’s Death
By Solid Serenity Legal Solutions
When news of Prince Philip’s death on April 9, 2021 spread, the world mourned. His funeral is scheduled for April 17, 2021. Due to his public status, he was required to plan for his funeral and end-of-life.
Studies show that only 1/3 of Americans have the important end-of-life planning documents they need. And, older adults have these documents in much higher numbers than their younger counterparts. End-of-life planning is important for any adult of any age.
Here are 2 things we can learn about end-of-life planning from Prince Philip’s death.
(1) Plan for Your Final Wishes
Healthcare Directives are important documents for adults to have in place. Under a healthcare directive, you can name someone to make healthcare decisions for you when you are unable to make them for yourself.
Often, we think of healthcare directives as giving an agent authority to withhold life-sustaining treatment in certain situations. But, there are additional wishes we can add to our directives under Prince Philip’s example.
Prince Philip spent the last 2 months of his life in and out of the hospital. But, we know he was able to die peacefully at home in Windsor Castle. While adding your wishes to your healthcare directive to die at home doesn’t mean your wishes will be followed if those wishes aren’t possible to fulfill, outlining your wishes for your agent will make it easier for your agent to follow your wishes.
Consider adding your final wishes to your healthcare directive or estate plan. We can help. Book an appointment online here
2) Plan for Your Funeral
Prince Philip’s public position required him to have a well-thought-out funeral plan. In many modern estate plans, there are documents you can use to express your final wishes for your funeral and burial or cremation.
But, the best way to ensure your wishes are followed fully is to reach out to a local funeral home and pre-plan your funeral. Not only can you possibly save your family thousands of dollars by locking in your rate at purchase and avoiding inflation, you can save them the heartache and pain of picking out the items for your burial themselves.
When you pre-plan your wishes for end-of-life and your death, you are leaving great gifts for your loved ones. Your forethought and selflessness will save your family money, time, and heartache. Reach out to us today to get started on your plan.
To learn about how trusts can fit into your estate plan, click here.