Health & Fitness
Blog: Are You Prepared for Death and Taxes?
Learn why it's important to make your wishes known, regardless of age, and find out how easy it is to prepare a living will and medical power of attorney.
Death and taxes may be the two unavoidable things in life, but research shows that while people spend countless hours preparing their annual tax returns, most ignore or postpone the need to prepare important documents like living wills.
This month, The Watermark at Beverly Hills is joining health care providers nationwide on National Healthcare Decisions Day to help reverse this trend. The public can learn more about living wills and other advance care directives at a free workshop presented by Joel J. Loquvam, Esq., Attorney at Law, on April 16th from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Watermark at Beverly Hills, 220 N. Clark Drive. To attend the free workshop, call 1-888-349-5793 by April 14th.
According to a 2006 Pew Research Center study, 71% of Americans have thought about their end-of-life treatment preferences and 95% have heard of a living will, but only 29% actually have a living will. A small effort today can save a lifetime of guilt or indecision for loved ones, should they be faced with making end-of-life-care decisions for you, according to Mary Beth Farrell, RN, MSN, JD, Director of Risk/Chief Compliance Officer of Watermark Retirement Communities, one of the nation’s leading operators of senior living communities including The Watermark at Beverly Hills.
Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Everyone should have a living will, power of attorney and their resuscitation decisions written down and communicated to their family and doctor. This is important regardless of age,” said Farrell, “because a sudden accident or injury could leave you unable to make your own decisions.”
“When it comes to Advanced Directives,” Farrell said, “people often assume it is a choice between treatment and no treatment, but that is not the case. By planning ahead you can make your wishes known right down to the details of when, what and how you would like to be treated. You can even specify your wishes such as ‘I do want everything done up until my condition is considered by two medical
professionals as irreversible.’ It’s all about exercising personal choice. Advance planning can help you and your family be better prepared.”
Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For more information, call The Watermark at Beverly Hills at 310-860-9234.
