It was a little over a year ago that I completed my Senior Advisor classes became a Certified Senior Advisor. I was astounded by the wealth of helpful information and kept thinking “you don’t know what you don’t know.”
It was eye-opening information, since I had no idea how much I didn’t know. Particularly pertinent, it made me realize how woefully unprepared my parents were. They had a handwritten will tucked away in a box. At one point, they showed me where the box was so I could find it “when the time came.”
I set up a meeting with an attorney, and my parents now have everything in order. They have a comprehensive estate plan in place that will help avoid probate, along with Durable Powers of Attorney for both medical and financial decisions.
The POA documents have been invaluable to me this past year, but when we were drafting them, I didn’t realize how soon they would be critical to have. The process of putting paperwork in place requires deep conversations and important decisions, so it is best if it can happen before a crisis occurs, when there is time to thoughtfully plan rather than to react.
In our case, we came in under the wire. With the ink not yet dry on the documents, my dad fell and broke his hip and ended up signing the final document with a visiting notary in the hospital. (As photographed below). That was October of 2025, and I started utilizing the documents immediately, as I needed to step in and handle all of my parents’ financial concerns and help out with medical matters as well.
Paperwork is an important part of the planning for aging, but HAVING A PLAN in general is really essential. My parents have moved three times in the last six months because they didn’t have a plan, so instead we reacted to each situation as it came. Deciding where and how you want to live if you can no longer safely manage on your own is not a decision that should be made in the middle of an emergency (after a sudden change in health like a fall or hospitalization).
Ideally, the conversation begins while you are still healthy enough to explore your options: visit communities, understand costs, and make choices that appeal to you. You may want to stay in your current home with additional support, or downsize to a smaller home. You may find a senior living community appealing for the social connections. Other considerations may include proximity to family, access to healthcare, and maintaining a familiar routine — what is important to you?
It’s a lot to consider and a good thing to do early so you will have more choices. And no time like the present to get your paperwork in order as a first step. So I say! But in the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that I haven’t yet done my own Durable POA documents. Apparently, knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it are two different things.
But just as true as “you don’t know what you don’t know” is “the best time to plan is before you need a plan.” My own paperwork is officially moving up on my to-do list!