Considering Your Own Death

Preplanning cremations is one of the cremation services offered in Glendale, AZ. When you start to think about and consider your own death, you start thinking about how you want the end of your life, from healthcare decisions to final disposition, to play out.

One of the things that you will think about when you consider your own death is your end of life care. What do you want to happen if you are terminally ill? What do you want to happen if you are dying? Who do you want to make healthcare decisions for you if you can’t make them for yourself.

When you consider your own death, you should consider having an advance directive. This will include a medical power of attorney, a living will, and any other orders that you want in effect (Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Intubate are common end of life orders that your primary care physician can authorize).

Your medical power of attorney will let you designate someone you trust to make medical decisions for you in the event that you are not able to make them on your own. Everyone, even if they’re young, should have a medical power of attorney because they’re not just for older people.

Suppose you’re in a car accident or a work accident today where you are unconscious in the hospital. Who would you want to be making medical decisions for you? Pick a person now and talk over the responsibilities with them and make sure they’re willing to fulfill that role for you.

Whomever you appoint to be your medical proxy should have your complete medical history (past and current), a current list, with dosages and times of day taken, of your medications, and they should have a copy of your living will.

If you’re considering your own death, then a living will must be part of that consideration. A living will lets you decide how you want to die. A living will gives you the option of essentially dying naturally when it’s time for you to go (no life-saving measures if you’re dying, but comfort care to ensure you’re not suffering) or of taking advantage of every medical procedure available to try to extend your life when you’re dying.

There’s no right or wrong option in a living will. Everyone has their own way they want their lives to end, so you need to consider which way you want.

Then you need to create a living will with your preferences. A living will is legal as long as it’s signed by you and dated. Make sure your medical proxy knows what your preferences are and that they have a copy of your living will.

Another thing to include as you consider your own death is what you want after you die. Cremations are a popular option, but you can choose whether you want to be cremated without a service before the cremation or whether you want a service before you’re cremated.

You can decide what kind of service you want. As you’re considering your own death, you’ll naturally consider your life and what’s most important to you from the years you’ve been on this earth. You might go back and look through pictures. You might consider the milestone events of your life. You might consider the legacy you want to leave behind for your family.

Write everything down. Talk with your family about your death. Give yourself and them some peace of mind.

If you want to know more about cremation services in Glendale, AZ, our compassionate and experienced staff at Simply Cremations & Funeral Arrangements can help.