Preparing for Death: Do we have to?

For us who already have disabilities, it is not a bad idea to think about the time when we will pass away, not because it is a morbid thing and you’re trying to be weird about it, but mostly because we need to help those who will be left behind to become ready too. Some of us who have children who rely on their needs on us, will need to have a safety net of sorts, when we pass away. There are also those who have children with disabilities and they will need to be prepared too in case the parents who support them leave this earth. Preparing for death is not because you do not love life, but mostly because each waking moment is important to you. Death is the event that helps define how we have lived, it is the avenue of your legacy and how you want to be remembered.

If you have been thinking about your departure from this Earth, then you are not wrong to believe that it is of your mutual benefit that you and your heirs are prepared. If you have been thinking about the idea of preparing your loved ones for the inevitable, here are some of the things you might want to include in your preparation:

1. Social media accounts – it may be a trivial matter but your social media accounts shadow your every move in life and maybe in death. Nominate a trustee who will handle your social media accounts after you have passed. It may not be a good idea to just leave your Facebook and Twitter without some measure of a closure. Facebook for one has a “legacy” feature that you might want to check out. It is unwise to just leave these accounts unattended as they might be hacked and the account used in committing fraud and identity theft. Surely no one would want that.
2. Leave a will – if your children is going to inherit from you, make sure that you have prepared a will. This properly defines, beyond a doubt, who gets what and will prevent protracted legal battles among the heirs. If you want to leave all your earthly possessions with charity, a will is also necessary for the government to implement.
3. Designate a power of attorney – In case you are incapacitated because of a medical condition, you will need to designate someone to decide on your behalf. If you already have a disability, it might get to the point that you will be in a condition unable to make a medical decision for yourself, such as deciding to remove your attachment to a respirator or any life-giving machine. Prepare a trusted one to make these decisions for you in case you are no longer able to do so.
4. Prepare your documents – land titles, property deeds, last will and testament, certificate of shares, anything that is of value that you own, including power of attorney documents, collate these in a file and entrust it early to an heir, lawyer or trusted one. Make sure that your trustee knows where you keep this file so that it will be opened and used in case of your untimely demise.

Remember that preparing for death is not just done by those who are terminally ill. It is also done by those without any illness in preparation for old age and the possibility of having an unsound mind and body. It is not something you should look forward to, but something that you must definitely prepare for, so that there will be no confusion on matters like how you want to be buried, and where.