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Estate planning is often associated with wills, inheritances, property, and financial assets. However, a complete plan should also address what happens if your health changes and you are unable to make important decisions for yourself. Healthcare preferences, medical decision-making, long-term care considerations, and other health-related concerns can all affect an estate plan. By considering these issues in advance, individuals can create a plan that reflects their wishes while helping loved ones navigate difficult circumstances.
Recognize That Estate Planning Goes Beyond Assets
A will is an important part of an estate plan, but it is only one component. A broader estate plan can address who manages financial matters, who can make healthcare decisions, and what should happen if you become incapacitated. This distinction is especially important because a will generally takes effect after death, while certain healthcare and financial documents can guide decisions during your lifetime.
In 2024, only 32% of Americans had a will, highlighting how many people have not yet formally documented their wishes. While creating a will is an important step, effective planning should go further. Individuals may also want to consider powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, beneficiary designations, and other documents appropriate to their circumstances. Together, these tools can provide a more comprehensive framework for handling both health and financial decisions.
Consider Who Can Make Healthcare Decisions
An unexpected illness or injury can leave someone temporarily or permanently unable to communicate their wishes. Without appropriate planning, family members may face uncertainty about who should make healthcare decisions or how those decisions should be approached. A healthcare power of attorney or similar authorization can identify a trusted person to act according to the individual’s wishes when they cannot speak for themselves.
Choosing a healthcare decision-maker deserves careful consideration. The person selected should understand the individual’s values, preferences, and expectations. It can also be helpful to discuss those wishes in advance rather than relying entirely on written documents. Open communication can give family members greater clarity if a serious medical situation occurs.
Document Your Preferences Before They’re Needed
Advance healthcare planning allows individuals to communicate their preferences before a crisis occurs. Depending on state law and personal circumstances, relevant documents may address treatment preferences, end-of-life decisions, organ donation, and the appointment of someone to make healthcare decisions.
These conversations do not have to focus exclusively on worst-case scenarios. They can also address practical concerns about quality of life, independence, living arrangements, and personal priorities. Putting preferences in writing can provide useful guidance while giving family members an opportunity to ask questions and understand what matters most.
Account For Chronic and Complex Health Conditions
Health considerations can become particularly important when someone lives with a chronic or complex condition. Conditions that involve ongoing symptoms, changing levels of function, or specialized care may affect decisions about finances, housing, caregiving, and future medical treatment. Estate planning can provide an opportunity to think about these possibilities before they become urgent.
For example, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) can involve significant changes over time. CRPS is generally categorized into three stages: acute CRPS, dystrophic CRPS, and atrophic CRPS. Understanding that health conditions can change reinforces the importance of reviewing personal plans rather than assuming that circumstances will remain the same indefinitely.
Health-related planning should be tailored to the individual’s situation rather than based on assumptions about a particular diagnosis. The goal is not to predict every possible medical event but to establish a framework for decision-making that can adapt when circumstances change.
Think About Conditions That Affect Long-Term Care
Some health conditions may influence the type of care a person could eventually need. Estate planning can therefore include conversations about potential long-term care expenses, living arrangements, family support, and the management of financial resources. These considerations may be especially important when someone wants to preserve assets while also ensuring that appropriate care is available.
Healthcare planning can also involve understanding how medical conditions may affect independence. A person might prefer to remain at home as long as possible, move closer to family, or consider another living arrangement if their needs change. Discussing these preferences early can help family members understand the individual’s priorities.
Understand The Role Of The Parathyroid Glands
Even seemingly specialized health information can become relevant when creating a thoughtful plan for future medical decisions. The parathyroid glands are four small, pea-sized glands usually located behind the thyroid that release parathyroid hormone (PTH) to regulate blood calcium levels. Conditions involving these glands can affect health and may require medical evaluation or treatment, illustrating why individuals should consider their own medical history when discussing future healthcare preferences.
For someone managing an endocrine condition or another ongoing health concern, having accurate medical information available can make future conversations with family members and healthcare providers more productive. Estate planning does not replace medical care, but it can help ensure that personal preferences and decision-making authority are documented if circumstances change.
Connect Healthcare Planning With Financial Planning
Health and finances are often closely connected. An illness, injury, or extended period of care can create expenses that affect savings, property, investments, and other assets. A comprehensive estate plan can encourage individuals to consider how healthcare needs might interact with their broader financial goals.
This may involve reviewing insurance coverage, retirement accounts, beneficiary designations, savings, and ownership of major assets. It can also involve identifying who has authority to handle financial matters if the individual becomes unable to do so. Keeping these elements coordinated can help reduce confusion and make the overall plan more effective.
Review Your Plan As Life Changes
Estate planning should not necessarily be treated as a one-time task. Health, family circumstances, finances, and personal priorities can change over the years. A document that accurately reflected someone’s wishes several years ago may no longer provide the same level of guidance today.
Regular reviews can help identify outdated information, changes in beneficiaries, new assets, or changes in healthcare preferences. Individuals may also want to revisit their plans following a major diagnosis, significant change in health, marriage, divorce, retirement, relocation, or the death of someone named in their documents. Working with appropriate legal and financial advisers can help ensure that documents remain consistent with current circumstances and applicable state law.
By considering health decisions alongside financial and property matters, individuals can create an estate plan that better reflects their priorities at every stage of life. Starting the conversation early provides an opportunity to make informed choices, communicate them clearly, and give loved ones meaningful guidance for the future.
