• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
417 E. 1st Street, Monticello, Iowa 52310
  • Home Health: (877) 465-3059
  • Hospice: (866) 233-1533
  • Fax: (319) 465-4070

Above & Beyond Home Health Care and Hospice Care

The more we care, the more beautiful life becomes

  • Home
  • Covid-19
  • About Us
    • Mission Statements
    • Leadership
    • Coordinators
    • Service Area
    • In-Service Scheduling Request
    • Community Outreach
      • Sit and Get Fit
    • Resources
  • Home Health Care
    • Skilled Nursing
    • Certified Wound Care Nurse
    • Social Work
    • Therapies
      • Physical Therapy
      • Occupational Therapy
        • Sit and Get Fit
      • Lymphatic Therapy
      • Speech Therapy
      • Music Therapy
      • Massage Therapy
      • Therapeutic Art
    • Aides
    • Respite Care
    • FAQs
  • Hospice Care
    • Medical Director
    • Skilled Nursing
    • Social Work
    • Volunteers
    • Aides
    • Respite Care
    • Bereavement
    • Veterans Services
    • Hospice Foundation
    • FAQs
  • Why Choose Us
    • Our Online Reviews
    • Testimonials
    • What Our Staff Says
    • Referrals
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Employment
    • Volunteer
    • Hospice Foundation
  • News
    • Subscribe to our Newsletter
    • Read our Past Newsletters
    • Articles
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Basic Information About Hospice Care / New Year’s Resolutions For End Of Life

New Year’s Resolutions For End Of Life

TeroVesalainen / Pixabay

It’s easy enough for residents of Manchester and elsewhere to focus on “being more fit” and other generic New Year’s resolutions that are as easy to make as they are to break.

But what if you focused on specific tasks, rather than general habits, such as taking care of your end of life care details?

The staff at Above and Beyond Home Health Care and Hospice always encourage people to start thinking about their own mortality, whether they have plenty of time left or are part of a hospice program.

So that’s why resolving to take care of end-of-life matters as a resolution is a fine idea.

They can be tied into the traditional changing of the calendar year spanning December to January, or really, any holiday or occasion where there’s an opportunity to resolve to make things better and look to not only your future but the future of those around you after you’re gone.

Essentially, by arranging some details now and tying it into a resolution you’re taking steps to provide peace of mind for your loved ones later in life. You also avoid people saying “I wish he/she would have taken care of these items sooner” while they deal with difficult decisions and even possible legal proceedings.
Consider some of these strategies for making useful resolutions – no matter the time of year and whether you have a short time or a long time before your death.

Create and discuss an advanced care plan. They ask you about this in the hospital, but it’s better that you and your family have discussed these wishes in case something happens and you’re not able to give consent. This lets the hospital staff know if they should administer CPR or other life-saving methods if you need them. It also can designate who can make these decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to.

Make sure you have a will. This is a legal document declaring who “gets your stuff” or at least your final wishes for how to divide your assets. This can include instructions such as how money should be divided between family members, if you want any money to go to charity, how to dispose of property, how to take care of any pets, or any other requests. It doesn’t have to be for massive estates either; even people with small bank accounts still should provide guidance in what to do with their savings. Dying without a will can often create legal situations as different heirs may claim they are entitled to different amounts or at least a delay in releasing funds.

Make sure you’re an organ donor. It’s called “the gift of life” and this gift is providing some of your organs to help others who may desperately need them. Some people may be on waiting lists for years to find the right match. Others on the long recipient lists may die or have their health worsen before they can get help. Getting on the donor list in many states can be as easy as going to the driver’s license office and checking a box. Approving this designation keeps family members from having to make this decision if you’re close to death.

Finalize funeral details. You can get family members involved in these discussions and decisions or you can let them have a pleasant surprise after your death that you’ve already arranged much of the details so they don’t have to. This can include designating what funeral home will provide services, what type of services you want, and whether you want a cremation or burial. You can even choose what you want to wear and what music can be played. Some funeral homes even allow you to ‘freeze’ the price when you make arrangements even if you die several years later. Taking care of these decisions now will allow your family time to grieve instead of focusing on the “little stuff” of planning. It will also cut down on potential conflict if people might have different opinions or think you have different wishes.

Bring people together. Some people wait until they’re near death to let loved ones know they’re appreciated or reach out to estranged family members. Or in some cases, they never get this opportunity. But trying to take the effort to be the one to get past problems in the past and apologize first can go a long way. Or, even if there’s no trauma but people are simply spread out and busy, take the opportunity to bring people together. Maybe a get-together around Christmas or a summer reunion can be a perfect time to gather. Certainly, people may be more willing to do so if they realize it could be the last time for someone on end of life care, but you also could encourage everyone to keep on gathering and being together

Above and Beyond Home Health Care encourages everyone to not wait for a certain date to create resolutions – practice them anytime!

Becky Cooper – Registered Nurse (RN) Administrator, Owner, Compliance Officer
Becky Cooper, RN

The author of this page is Becky Cooper. Becky is a Registered Nurse and a co-founder and co-owner of Above & Beyond Home Health Care and Hospice. She is the company’s Director and Compliance Officer.

Helping Eastern Iowa Continue Living at Home Since 2004

Let's start talking about how your older loved ones can live with dignity in the safety, security, comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Home Health Care

Local: (319) 465-3059

Toll-free (877) 465-3059

Hospice Care

Local: (319) 465-4637

Toll-free:(866) 233-1533

CLICK TO SEND A MESSAGE

Fax:(319) 465-4070
417 E. 1st Street, Monticello, Iowa 52310

Footer

Contact & Newsletter

Stay Connected

Newsletter Signup

We promise we won't send you endless spam and we won't ever share your email address with anyone else.

VISIT US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

We Honor Veterans

Text Size

A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

Recently Added Information

  • Why You Should Care About Public Health For Seniors
  • Why You Should Care About Patient Safety
  • How Chronic Fatigue Impacts End Of Life Care
  • How To Practice Active Listening For A Loved One With Alzheimer’s
  • What Is Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Home
  • Covid-19
  • About Us
  • Home Health Care
  • Hospice Care
  • Why Choose Us
  • GET INVOLVED
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

COPYRIGHT © 2004–2021 ABOVE & BEYOND HOME HEALTH CARE INC. AND ABOVE & BEYOND HOSPICE · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WEBSITE CREATED AND MANAGED BY A SERVANT'S HEART WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING