Estate Plan Check-UpsEffective estate planning is personal, and its more than just deciding who to leave your assets to once you die.  Effective estate planning  is a comprehensive process that encompasses pre-need planning: health care decisions, financial management, and maintaining a delicate balance between independence and security.  Like your preventive doctor visits, you should regularly check in on your estate plan to ensure it fits your current needs, considers and plans for potential future care needs, and will give effect to your wishes now and in the future. Generally, estate planning involves creating a last will and testament, possibly a revocable trust, possibly an asset protection trust or a supplemental needs trust for a loved one who is unable to manage finances or may be vulnerable to abuse or exploitation.  Estate planning also involves important advanced directives, such as a durable financial power of attorney, a health care power of attorney, and a living will.   Creating an estate plan, or getting my affairs in order, tends to be an item on our to-do lists, for us to get done and move on to the next thing. However, while it may not be something you have to look at every month, or even every year, once your initial estate plan is completed, it is something that needs to be reviewed with some regularity.Most people get an annual physical when they are healthy, not when they are sick. They do this because they want to proactively spot any issues that could cause them to become ill in the future. The same concept can and should be applied when it comes to reviewing and updating your estate plan. Your estate plan may be healthy now, but you want to make sure that it stays that way by checking it regularly, to ensure it fits your needs and family circumstances, protects and provides for you now, and  accomplishes your goals and wishes in the future. Editors Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.  This article was submitted by Ashley Day, Esq.  Ashley Day Law, LLC.  Reach her at 251-277-3377. 

When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it can be a difficult and emotional time for both the patient and their family. Hospice care provides a specialized form of medical care that focuses on the comfort and quality of life for patients who have a limited life expectancy. Hospice care not only benefits the patient, but it also provides support and assistance for their caregivers. In this article, we will explore the benefits of hospice care for both patients and caregivers.For Patients:Pain and Symptom Management: Hospice care specializes in providing comfort care, which means that the medical team focuses on managing pain and symptoms associated with the illness. This can include providing medication and other therapies to alleviate discomfort.Emotional Support: Hospice care teams include trained professionals who offer emotional and spiritual support to patients and their families. These professionals can provide counseling, emotional support, and assistance with coping strategies to help patients and their families manage their emotions during this difficult time.Dignity and Respect: Hospice care is designed to provide compassionate care that is focused on the patients dignity and respect. Patients are treated as individuals with unique needs, preferences, and beliefs. The goal of hospice care is to ensure that patients are comfortable and treated with respect throughout the entire end-of-life process.Personalized Care: Hospice care is tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient. This means that care is provided based on the patients unique medical condition, personal preferences, and goals. The hospice care team works with patients and their families to develop a care plan that is customized to their needs.Support for Family Members: Hospice care offers support for family members who are caring for their loved ones. This can include counseling, respite care, and assistance with end-of-life planning.For Caregivers:Respite Care: Hospice care provides respite care for caregivers, which means that a trained professional takes over caregiving responsibilities for a short period of time so that the caregiver can take a break. This can be particularly helpful for family members who are caring for a loved one 24/7.Emotional Support: Hospice care teams offer emotional support to caregivers as well. Caregivers often experience stress, anxiety, and depression as they care for their loved ones. Hospice care professionals can provide counseling and other resources to help caregivers manage their emotions.Education and Training: Hospice care teams can provide education and training to caregivers so that they are better equipped to care for their loved ones. This can include training on medication management, pain management, and other aspects of end-of-life care.Support for End-of-Life Planning: Hospice care teams can help caregivers with end-of-life planning, which can include assistance with advance directives, funeral planning, and other important decisions that need to be made.Continued Support: Hospice care teams provide continued support to caregivers even after their loved one has passed away. This can include grief counseling and other resources to help caregivers cope with the loss of their loved one.Hospice care provides specialized medical care that focuses on the comfort and quality of life for patients who have a limited life expectancy. Hospice care not only benefits the patient, but it also provides support and assistance for their caregivers. Hospice care offers a range of benefits, including pain and symptom management, emotional support, dignity and respect, personalized care, respite care, education and training, support for end-of-life planning, and continued support for caregivers after their loved one has passed away. If you or a loved one are facing a terminal illness, it is important to consider the benefits of hospice care and to discuss this option with your healthcare provider. For more information about hospice care services please contact our caring team today.

Unfortunately, its likely to happen to each of us when we least expect it: we hear the news that a friend or family member has lost a loved one through an unexpected or expected death. We may have an immediate feeling of doubt about how we should respond. What do we say? What do we do? What if we say or do the wrong thing?These are important questions because what we say or do can either relieve emotional pain or make it worse.Yet, by understanding a few important things about grieving and mourning we can be confident that we can help and not hurt.Understand the Many Faces of Emotional ShockEven when a death is expectedlike after a long, serious illnessyour friend is probably experiencing a roller coaster of strong emotions. According to the American Cancer Society, the shock of losing a loved one can manifest itself anywhere from disbelief, anger, uncertainty, denial or numbness. In my own experience, Ive seen people whose numbness is misinterpreted as peace or acceptance, leading others to say, Shes so strong or Hes taking this so wellyet when the funeral is over and everyone has gone home, they fall apart.Remember that your friend is likely to feel many emotional ups and downsand a period of strength might be followed by real anguish.Communicate Your Sorrow SimplyIm so sorry for your loss, or I wish I knew what to sayplease know that I care, are simple and comforting ways to let your friend know that you care. When we stray into clichslike Shes in a better place now, or It was his time to go,the person who is grieving may feel wounded because they simply want their loved one at their side. This can be especially true of parents who have lost children.If youre completely unsure of what to say, being nearbyyet silentalso communicates that you care.Show Your Support through ServiceYou can decrease your own feelings of helplessness or powerlessness by serving your grieving friend. However, during the strongest moments of grief your friend may not be able to tell you what he or she needs. If thats the case, you might consider doing anything that may be helpfullike mowing their lawn, doing their dishes, or helping them with the funeral. But remember that your service shouldnt end with the funeral.Thoughtful service will continue to show your concern.Listening May Be the Most Helpful Thing You Can DoYour friend may need to talk often. He or she may have to discuss the details of their loved ones deathand may need to talk about it repeatedly. This can be part of the grieving process and you can help by being a patient, non-judgmental, listening ear.But take your cues from your friend because talking about their loved one might be painful. One friend recently told me, One of the most difficult things for us was when someone wouldcasually [mention our childs name]. To us, mentioning his name was a reverent thing that we didnt do very often except among each other. Even then, we were careful about it. It felt very jarring when others were too casual about it.Dont Rush the Grieving ProcessExperts in the field of emotional health and grieving concur that the processand timeframeof grieving is different for everyone. As a friend, you need to be ready for the long haul. It may literally take years for a grieving person to feel stable with their emotions. Encouraging them to get outside and take part in social activities may be helpful, but shouldnt be forced. Give your friend time to adjust to their feelings and emotions and dont be surprised if their grieving lasts much longer than you expect.Dont be Offended if Your Friend Shows AngerAnger can be a normal emotion during the grieving process. Grief can heighten negative emotions and a normally kind person who is grieving may strike out at others emotionally. Understand that its a product of their grief and dont take it personally. You can support them best by maintaining a level head and forgiving them when theyre not at their best.Grief and Mourning Shouldnt be Interpreted as a Lack of Religious FaithAbout half the people in the world believe in an afterlifeand that belief is typically tied to religious views. While those who are grieving may find comfort in their belief that their loved one lives on in some other realm, that belief may not override the pain of separation. Often, grieving is about being separated from our loved onesregardless of our beliefs.Id love to hear your thoughts on this subject, so please leave a comment in the comments box. I also invite you to subscribe to this blogwhich will cover a variety of healthcare topics.A short post cant cover everything, so if youd like more information on this topic I encourage you to research the Five Stages of Grief by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Also, see the U.S. Governments excellent A LifeCare Guide to Helping Others Cope with Grief. If youre concerned that your friends grief has developed into thoughts of hurting themselves or others, please contact a mental health professional.This post is dedicated to the memory of Bailey Rae Bullock, Matthew Bullock, Dan Bishop, Joe Adams, Michelle Pereira, and the many others who's passing profoundly affected me.