In the event of accident, disease, or death: Do you have a plan?
The recent Canada-wide internet outage left millions of internet, mobile, and phone customers incommunicado for the better of 12 hours. It also disrupted thousands of businesses, public services, and government — helplines were down as were ATMs, point of sale machines, and even 911 emergency calls were affected.
Many of those impacted were asking — quite rightly — why wasn’t there a redundancy plan in place, you know, a backup plan. According to Rogers, the stopgap measures that were supposed to work didn’t. That’s not good enough. Rigorous testing should have demonstrated the viability of these systems. Also under scrutiny was Rogers's dismal customer service. It was hours before they offered any acknowledgement of what happened other than saying they were aware of the problems and asked for their customers’ patience. That would suffice in the very short term but after several hours, you’d expect more detailed updates and explanations [turned out to be a maintenance issue]. They were not forthcoming. Given the severity of the consequences, there should have been a more rigorous plan in place.
This disruption of service, it could be argued, was a potential threat to national security and one would hope that the Government would demand some sort of accountability and that plans are put in place that would assure that this sort of disruption doesn’t take place again; or, if it does, that backup plans are in place to reduce the inconvenience to millions as well assure the continuity of financial, public and emergency services.
So why is an End of Life Planning Facilitator talking about an internet outage and Rogers's apparent lack of a plan? Because life is unpredictable. And because of that reality, we need plans. And yes, I know all about the best-laid plans of mice, men, and internet companies that can go to hell. But I’d rather have a plan than no plan at all.
Let’s consider another service disruption. The service is called life. Imagine a disruption to your life or worse, its cessation altogether. Imagine you are struck down by a bus and rushed to hospital. You’re unconscious. In fact, maybe the doctors have to put you into a medically-induced coma for your own good. Consequently, you are unable to communicate. Someone with a plan would have what we call a Substitute Decision Maker. That’s a person named in a Power-of-Attorney for Health Care. You can write one of those up yourself or have a lawyer do it for you. A Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) is a person you have chosen to speak on your behalf when you can’t. This is a person who can communicate your wishes to the doctors and nurses regarding the kind of treatment and care you would like or not want. For example, in the likelihood that your injuries are so severe that quality of life cannot be guaranteed to the level that you would want, you could have instructed your SDM to inform the medical professionals not to administer “heroic” interventions only to have you on life-support ever afterwards.
Obviously, such decisions require informed conversations with your SDM, family, and close friends as well as your medical professionals. This requires advance consideration and conversation — we call that planning. This is just one aspect of end-of-life planning that a Facilitator like me can support you with. Others include Will and Powers-of-Attorney preparation; how to choose an Executor for your Will; Advance Care Planning; body disposal considerations; funeral and life celebration planning; and even legacy creation so you can be remembered and celebrated in a manner of your choosing.
What about the cessation of this service we call life? I know, we don’t like to think about it, but the reality is that all of us will die one day. “But my children will take of things when I die,” I hear some of you say. Will they? Do you know that for sure? Have you asked them? If you were facing a future on life support, would your children all agree on what should be done? What if you don’t have children? or a spouse?
And what about your digital life? Would anyone know your passwords so they could close down your social media, shopping, and subscription accounts so money doesn’t continue to be drawn from your account? And what about your funeral? Would you expect your family to pay for it or even know whether you want to be buried or cremated? Do they know your wishes?
These and a myriad of other questions are what End of Life Planning Facilitators deal with every day. Every case is different. And what can seem overwhelming to you, is a matter of planning to an End of Life Planning expert. We provide a space for you to talk, to share your wishes, your questions, and your concerns. We will create a step-by-step plan and metaphorically hold your hand through the process until you have a plan that reflects your wishes and brings you peace of mind.
Of course, life is unpredictable, right? That’s why we create a “review and update” schedule to ensure that your plan accurately reflects your current situation and wishes for the future. We ensure that it’s good for the purpose.
The internet outage lasted for a day. Life will go on. But our lives will not. Inevitably, they will be disrupted by accident or disease or death. Do you have a plan? It’s not too late to start one. You can sign up for a comprehensive 7-week End-of-Life Planning programme for less than most lawyers will charge you for writing up a will. Or you can take it one piece at a time. No matter what you decide, your decision to begin your personal end-of-life plan will be one of the best decisions you can make. Believe me, and those who have completed theirs, end-of-life planning will bring you and your family and friends peace of mind. Doesn’t that sound like a plan worth creating?
Don’t let the fear of death or the overwhelming “I don’t know where to start” anxiety prevent you from starting your plan. Until the end of August 2022, I’m offering first-time clients a chance to share their thoughts and ask questions in a 30-minute Zoom conversation. There’s no charge and no obligation. Contact me at michael@myendoflifeplan.ca to arrange an interview. For more information go to www.myendoflifeplan.ca and check out my 7-week Before I Go Method® programme.
Michael Williams is the founder of My End of Life Plan (Canada). He is also the Head End of Life Planning Facilitator and Trainer for Before I Go Solutions (https://www.beforeigosolutions.com), a leader in end-of-life planning education, resources, and training. Michael is also a grandfather, an avid ukulele beginner, and a published author.
