Life is like a marathon. Once the starting line is crossed, one can only continue to charge forward with no turning back. Most people start off with tears, accompanied by countless expectations and cheers from relatives, then by countless ups and downs - shedding a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the process. If certain matters could be planned before crossing the line, which include making a will, funeral arrangement, pre-setting care plans, and expressing one’s wishes to families in advance, regrets and unnecessary disputes can be reduced. One’s very end can also be completed according to their own wishes, completing the marathon of life.
The will is a legal document with binding powers. The function of a will is to allow the testator (who writes the will) to distribute their estate according to their wishes. Since this is a legal document, legal advice should be consulted when making a will to ensure its validity. If the deceased did not make a will during their lifetime, their estate will be handled in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
In Hong Kong, there are different options to choose from: cremation, burial, and green burials that have emerged in recent years, including the scattering of ashes of the deceased either in memorial gardens or at sea. Having "a peaceful end at old age" is the wish of many in Hong Kong society. If funeral arrangements are planned, family members can be relieved to handle the funeral according to the wishes of their loved one, which may also reduce the immense pain of losing a loved one.
When life comes to an end and the body no longer functions, one may wish to donate organs to patients in need, or their remains to universities for teaching purposes. Should one be interested in this, one should register in advance and inform their family.
The ACP is planned for when a patient is still mentally able to make their own informed decisions for end-of-life care. Through discussion with their family members and healthcare team, he or she plans the medical treatment and nursing conditions he or she hopes to receive at the end of their life. In this way, even if patients lose the ability to communicate at the end of their lives, they can still receive excellent care tailored to nearly each one of their personal wishes.
The EPA is a legal document that allows an authoriser (that is, one who intends to grant their power to others) to appoint an executor when they are mentally sound, so that when the authorizer becomes incapacitated in the future, the authorized person can take care of his financial affairs. The general power of attorney will lose its validity when the authorizer becomes incapacitated, but the permanent power of attorney will be continuously valid after the authoriser loses mental capacity, and it will be given power to the executor to continue to handle the authorizer’s financial affairs.
For details, please refer to Community Resources under Saying Goodbye – Social Support
