A "legacy will video" can help seniors share their values and wishes.
People make terrible mind readers.
No, really.
Trying to attribute motives or intentions can lead to hurt feelings and relational discord.
Families are often fraught with anxiety as they attempt to honor uncommunicated wishes.
As parents age, it is increasingly important to communicate their preferences for medical treatments, living situations, and estate issues.
While many older adults may find it easy to discuss their wishes and create an estate plan with an experienced estate planning attorney, they may struggle to discuss them with their loved ones.
When in-person communication is not a good option, a legacy will video helps share final wishes and thoughts.
You can create a "legacy will video" using your smartphone or camcorder.
A legacy will video is an audiovisual recording in which people share final wishes, life stories, or other messages they want to pass on to their families or friends.
Senior adults can use the videos to share lessons they learned, their beliefs, values, and their wishes for their medical care or assets.
Sharing words of wisdom or the reasons for their estate planning decisions can prevent confusion and discord during an intense time for loved ones.
Caregiving for aging parents can strain the emotional and physical health of the caregiver.
Family caregivers often help with errands, healthcare tasks, and household chores.
As a result, they have little time for themselves or their loved ones.
Amid the hustle and bustle of supporting their loved ones, the death of a senior parent can feel sudden.
Senior parents who document their wishes can ease the emotional and mental burden caregivers experience.
Legacy will videos do not have a strict template.
You can make your own home movies if you have a modern smartphone.
You can include whatever you want, such as life stories, values, end-of-life wishes, and messages to loved ones.
Be as creative as you wish.
Sharing personal stories and lessons learned can help you pass values on to future generations.
Communicating your wishes for medical care, funeral arrangements, and estate planning and the reasoning behind your choices can minimize family confusion and discord.
Special messages to family members can give them a sweet memory they will treasure forever.
If you have created an estate plan but are struggling to discuss your wishes with your loved ones, a legacy will video may be a good option.
By recording the purpose of your wishes and final messages to loved ones, you can have peace of mind knowing you left nothing unsaid.
Whether filming your own video or helping a loved one record their messages, do not wait until a crisis has struck.
Be proactive and share important information and sentiments with your loved ones.
Legacy will videos allow older loved ones to record their stories, values, and final wishes.
Caregivers find these videos to be especially helpful in understanding wishes so they can confidently take action to support their loved ones and have greater peace after their aging parent has died.
A video recording can reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings and conflict among families.
Because legacy will videos are not legally valid estate planning documents, they should be created with a comprehensive estate plan.
If you need to create a comprehensive estate plan, contact our Overland Park estate planning office to request a consultation.
This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. You should contact an attorney for advice concerning any particular issue or problem. Nothing herein creates an attorney-client relationship between Harvest Law KC and the reader.
Reference: Living Legacy "Living Legacy - A Message of Hope"
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