Let’s talk about the future…

There are many things that as adults we need to consider at some point in the future. Especially, as we age it is important that those that love and support us know what our wishes are. This is not an easy thing to think about or talk about, but can be very important not just to those of us with this condition, but can be a comfort to those who love us to know that we have made our wishes clear.

Two things that are worth looking into are as follows:

• Life Insurance – Once diagnosed, it may be a bit late to set this up, but certainly worth exploring especially in the early stages. I always talk to people I know about life insurance and checking whether they have ‘crisis cover’ or a ‘serious medical’ clause in the insurance. I know for many – myself included – we set up our life insurance and because it is something we don’t really like to think about, we sign up and then consign it to wherever we file our documents. For that reason, there may be such a clause but we may have forgotten that it exists. This may be something that could be claimed on with our diagnosis and may give the choice to fund an early retirement or the holiday of a lifetime while we are still fit enough to make some lovely memories with those we love. Unfortunately, I haven’t got this option in place. Something which in hindsight might have been a good idea. Perhaps it was a cost factor, but it has proven helpful for some people that I have met.
• Advanced Care Plan – I’m not sure if this is something available in other countries, but in New Zealand this is a document which is completed with the assistance of a health professional. There are people trained in assisting with this document often at GP’s or in hospital. It is an opportunity to produce a document which is loaded onto your health file in the hospital system and has information on treatment options you would – or wouldn’t – like. It also has information about what is important to you in relation to family, culture and spirituality and what that looks like for you. While not a legal document as such, it is usually accessed by health staff to guide family in making decisions when a person can’t make those decisions for themselves. Below is a link if you would like to check it out. Here is a bit of an excerpt from a page to introduce the document.
• 2a | What matters to me
• This is what I want my whānau, loved ones and health care team to know about who I am and
• what matters to me.
• My cultural, religious and spiritual values, rituals and beliefs:
• To honour these beliefs, I want my whānau, loved ones and health care team to
• Click on the link below to check out the document:

Click to access ACP_20210826_v09.pdf

I would say that – as a person with Parkinson’s myself – I have been asked if I would like to make an Advanced Care Plan. I have not done so as yet, because I feel very much in the early stages and don’t feel ready to do so. So, I would like to acknowledge that we are all at various stages of this condition and as individuals we will have varying levels of comfort in considering options such as this. Just because I may not quite be ready as yet to do this, does not mean that I don’t believe in it’s value, because I very much do! For something so important, it needs to be something that an individual is ready for and not something that anyone could – or should – do because someone else tells them to!

This is information that I can – and do – talk with friends and family about in endeavouring to provide them with options to consider both for now and for their future.