Planning for the future – especially when it comes to long-term care – can often feel like an overwhelming task that gets put off. However, taking the time to confront and prepare for these eventualities now can give us a profound sense of strength and clarity. At the center of this preparation is the art of decision making, an excellent tool to employ before emotions cloud our judgment.
Jennifer Crowley, a BSN, RN, CLCP, CADDCT, CDP, CMC, and noted UCSF expert, puts it succinctly: "Proactive long-term care planning ensures autonomy, dignity, and choice in our later years."
In the tapestry of long-term care planning, three strands stand out: envisioning the future’s necessities, selecting the right care facility, and crafting our healthcare directives. We’ll explore each a bit further, shedding light on why they matter more than ever—especially now.
Long-Term Care Planning:
Imagine standing in front of a blank canvas. The freedom of possibility is invigorating, yet guidance is crucial to prevent chaos. That’s what long-term care planning entails: It begins as an open space full of choices. By drawing broad strokes now—with counseling on potential costs, types of care available, and your specific requirements—you shape a coherent vision for the future. Decisions made early can often be revised or debated, ensuring they fit comfortably before the approach of any haste ridden by crisis.
Choosing a Long-term Care Facility:
Choosing a new home. It sounds simple, but it involves complexity and emotions, like sorting through a dozen maple leaves to find the one that offers insights into every season. A hasty decision could overlook an aspect that is crucial to you. Taking your time now allows you to visit facilities, understand their philosophies and how staff interact with each other, and consider their services. Do you feel like you're wrapped in a familiar blanket? Or are there red flags popping up? Early decisions provide certainty and make transitions feel less like upheaval and more like managed, thoughtful moves.
Advanced Healthcare Directives:
When the uncertainties of tomorrow seem intimidating, it helps to set instructions for medical treatment to tame the wilderness. This forward-looking decision-making ensures that your wishes remain paramount – and are respected by family and health care providers alike – even when you are unable to advocate for them verbally. Think of it as authoring your own story, words written without the dictates of stress or urgency, solidified by the certainty that you are the best author of your future.
When decisions chase us, traction can be slippery. As with any facet of life's journey, preparation maximizes our steadfast ground, preventing reactionary decisions over proactive choices. Engage with these crucial elements now, placing them like waypoints in your personalized roadmap. You grant yourself—and those who may walk this road with you—the immeasurable comfort of direction over dilemma. May this guide inspire you to seize these decisions early, before the wind and waves tempt to carry your good intentions against hardship’s jagged edges.