Posts that reference the Getting Your Affairs in Order Stages framework, which explains the progression people typically move through as they organize the information a helper would need to step in during incapacity or after death.
Many people assume that once they have a will, trust, and powers of attorney, their planning is complete. But estate planning and long-term care planning are not the same thing. One focuses on legal authority and what happens after death. The other addresses what happens if you can no longer live independently and need help while still alive.
Conversations with people who had helped parents, spouses, or relatives revealed a consistent pattern: most people believe preparation is finished once legal documents are signed. This article explores what those conversations revealed and how they helped validate the Stages of Getting Your Affairs in Order framework.