Death and Taxes: Are you prepared?

Death and taxes may be the two unavoidable things in life, but research shows that while people spend countless hours preparing their annual tax returns, most ignore or postpone the need to prepare important documents like living wills.

Blue Bell Place is joining health care providers nationwide to help reverse this trend by recognizing April 16 as National Health Care Decisions Day. Area families can learn more and get expert answers about living wills and other advance care directives on April 27 at 12:30 p.m. at Blue Bell Place, 777 DeKalb Pike. The  speaker will be Mary Beth Farrell, RN, MSN, JD, Director of Risk/Chief Compliance Officer of Watermark Retirement Communities, one of the nation’s leading operators of senior living communities including Blue Bell Place. Attendance is free. To reserve a seat, call 610-624-1198 by April 25^th.  

According to a 2006 Pew Research Center study, 71% of Americans have thought about their end-of-life treatment preferences and 95% have heard of a living will, but only 29% actually have a living will. A small effort today can save a lifetime of guilt or indecision for loved ones, should they be faced with making end-of-life-care decisions for you, according to Farrell.

“Everyone should have a living will, power of attorney and their resuscitation decisions written down and communicated to their family and doctor. This is important regardless of age,” said Farrell, “because a sudden accident or injury could leave you unable to make your own decisions.”  

"When it comes to Advanced Directives,” Farrell said, “people often assume it is a
choice between treatment or no treatment but that is not the case. By planning
ahead you can make your wishes known right down to the details of when, what
and how you would like to be treated. You can even specify your wishes such as ‘I do want everything done up until my condition is considered by two medical professionals as irreversible.’ It’s all about exercising personal choice. Advance planning can help you and your family be better prepared.”

About Blue Bell Place

Located at 777 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell Place is one of 32 communities operated by Watermark Retirement Communities coast to coast. The company is committed to creating extraordinary communities where people thrive. For more information, call 1-610-277-6443 or visit www.watermarkcommunities.com.

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