Do you know that song? It’s a beautiful song made famous by Barbra Streisand on The Way We Were album (if you remember what an album is 😊).
This question makes me pause and think about what I want. What brings me joy, comfort, solace, purpose? It’s exciting because I don’t know how much time I have on this earth, but I want to do what I can to make it a better place and feel fulfilled.
Whether the question “What are you doing the rest of your life?” has you thinking of romance, traveling, volunteering, changing the world, spending time with family, resting or reading without interruption, accomplishing great athletic feats, or sitting on a beach with a cocktail (or all of the above), it is up to us to plan and make it happen.
During this holiday season, as you gather with friends and family, I invite you to ask this question. Quality of life does take some planning—even if what we plan doesn’t go just as we planned (spoiler alert: it almost never does). Having these discussions is more than half the battle. As we all need help getting to whatever goal we set, you must share those goals and dreams with those you care about.
This Thanksgiving and holiday season, not only discuss what you are grateful for but also ask what you want the future to look like. It takes dreaming with a sprinkle of planning.
Different goals—like “I want to make sure I get to be active in my grandchildren’s lives,” or “I want to travel the world in my next chapter of life,” or “I want to be in the Senior Olympics,” or “I want to live in warm weather,” or “I want to live in this same home”—all require planning with those you love and likely some help from premier senior care providers.
Planning for the Future: Healthcare Proxy
If you are over 18, it’s a great time to figure out who would be the right healthcare proxy for you. This means someone who can articulate your healthcare choices if for any reason you can’t.
Some tips for selecting that person:
- You trust them to act as you want them to regarding your healthcare.
- You trust them with knowledge of your healthcare information (i.e., your doctors, diagnosis, medications, allergies, access to your health portals).
- You have these discussions with them about what you want to do for the rest of your life (i.e., what quality of life means to you, whether you would want to be resuscitated, etc.).
- You and your healthcare proxy are willing to have these discussions regularly (because what we consider quality of life changes, and health can change too).
If you need help with this, Care Answered is here to make it as easy as possible to sing along with you on the path of having the quality of life you want for the rest of your life.
Care Answered
516-584-2007 Ext. 1