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Although aging is a fact of life, losing the ability to make important decisions about your own care is not.
As you think about becoming elderly, you probably have general ideas about where you want to live, how independent
you hope to remain and what kind of help you would like to receive as your abilities weaken. You do not have to
leave those wishes to chance.
Making decisions on your terms is possible when you plan ahead. While you are healthy and matters are within your
control, set aside time to record and communicate your decisions about living arrangements, medical treatment and
other matters. Involve those closest to you in these decisions so they know and can support your wishes. Make sure
important information is organized and safely stored where you and a trusted individual may access it as needed.
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The Planning Ahead Work Sheets are designed so that you can record important personal and financial information.
It is essential that you store this information in a safe deposit box at your financial institution or in another secure
location away from your residence. It contains sensitive information that can be misused in the wrong hands. Handle your
completed work sheets with care and caution. You can also scan the documents, save them to a disk and store the disk in
your safe deposit box.
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This article provides information and work sheets in the Helpful
Forms & Lists box to guide you through the following steps:
- Identifying your financial resources.
- Choosing living arrangements and caregiving preferences.
- Assessing insurance needs.
- Maintaining medical records.
- Organizing personal documents.
- Ensuring your assets are properly allocated.
- Documenting your final wishes.
This article is only a guide. The USAA Educational Foundation does not provide legal or tax advice, so you may want to seek the advice of tax, legal or financial planning professionals.
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Education
Education