Did you happen to see the TED Talk in which Tom Brokaw had a conversation with his daughter, Jennifer? During the talk, Tom admitted that “unfortunately, I don’t know a lot about my living will. In fact, I’m not even sure where it is at this point.”
You can click here to watch the video. I set up the link to jump right to the spot, but I encourage you to watch the entire video. It’s only about 20 minutes long and well worth the time.
It’s always nice to see that celebrities are real people with real problems, and Tom’s case raises a few important questions.
- Does your living will still reflect your wishes? There are many reasons why you may want to update your living will and/or healthcare power of attorney: Has your relationship with your family changed? Is your agent still able and willing to act on your behalf? Has your health changed? Have your beliefs changed? Have you moved?
- Have you discussed your wishes with your family? What you want and don’t want?
- Do you know where you living will is? Tom Brokaw admits he doesn’t know where his living will is. This is a common problem, which is why we encourage our clients to sign up for DocuBank. A DocuBank Emergency Card lets you and your doctor access your living will & other emergency info immediately when needed. It’s like you have your documents right in your pocket!
We want to make sure that you stay ahead of Tom Brokaw! It’s important that your living will and advance directives reflect your true wishes, and that you and your family know where they are and can access them when they’re needed.
