If you are working on creating your estate plan, you may be wondering exactly what the term “incapacitation” means. If you are injured or are the victim of a chronic illness that renders you unable to make coherent decisions on your own, it means you are incapacitated.
Being unable to make critical decisions about important things like your health or finances could mean that outcomes you would have never wanted are going to become your reality. Taking into consideration what you would want before you ever are incapacitated may allow you to exert control even if someone else is making decisions on your behalf.
What designations to make
There are probably some decisions that you do not care much about if someone else were to offer their opinion on your behalf. However, other choices with critical outcomes are probably ones that you will want to analyze and give some input before a decision is made.
According to The Motley Fool, one consideration is how you will acquire the care you need. Depending on your age and the kind of care you may need under certain circumstances, you may rely on Medicaid, Medicare or even a private insurance provider. You may also want to discuss what you would want for long-term care. For example, if you want to be put in a nursing home if you reach a point where you require help with daily needs.
The value of designations
If you make appropriate designations for decisions that are important to you, you can have peace of mind knowing that decisions will be made on your behalf that is in accordance with what you would have wanted. Making these designations before you become incapacitated can also provide your family members with comfort knowing that whatever decisions they are making are what you would have wanted. Your clarifications can also help your family to have confidence that they are making the right decisions for you.