There's a lot of emphasis in our society on planning for retirement.
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There's an expectation that it should be an active and healthy time of our lives.
But how much forethought do we give to what follows the early, idealised 'golden years'?
Throughout a lifetime of working hard, many of us daydream about how we'll spend our days after clocking off for the last time.
Upon entering retirement, the more fortuitous among us may get to travel or pursue a variety of hobbies that had always proven time or cost prohibitive up until this major life milestone.
Once we've come out the other side of decades spent paying our bills, raising our families and doing our work, many of us look forward to taking more time for ourselves.
The early years of retirement can be a joy as people finally have the time to do more of what they love most. Inevitably, many of us lucky to live long enough will face the extraordinary transition of needing more and more help to preserve our quality of life.
This may come initially in the form of seeking help to maintain the upkeep of our homes and getting to and from appointments or the supermarket.
Meal preparation, personal and health care needs are other aspects of our lives that may require added assistance at some stage.
The transition from being an independent and autonomous member of society to relying on others to ensure our needs are met can be frightening.
The transition from being an independent and autonomous member of society to relying on others to ensure our needs are met can be frightening.
What makes this all the more challenging is that some of us may not be adequately prepared for this time in our lives.
A 2018 study commissioned by Absolute Care and Health found that 40 per cent of respondents were not very confident they would be able to fund their aged care.
An additional 20 per cent said they didn't know how they might fund their future care needs at all.
In another study by Advance Care Planning Australia, more than two thirds of older Australians had not left any legally recognised instructions about their end of life care.
Half had left no instructions at all.
Being prepared for future events is an important part of healthy ageing and making an Advance Care Directive (ACD) or an Advance Care Plan (ACP) is an invaluable step in this process.
An ACD is a legal document that sets out how we wish to be cared for should we no longer be able to make or communicate decisions about our care and treatments.
When made by an adult with decision making capacity, it must be followed.
Alternatively, an ACP is a less formal but still effective way to communicate your wishes for care in which you write down your directions on any form or paper for later implementation.
The first step in any advance care planning is to talk with your family, friends, carers and doctors.
Discuss your preferences for health and personal care at the end of your life.
You can then elect a person you would like to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to.
You can also note details about what's important to you, such as your values, beliefs and preferred outcomes and you can indicate the treatments and care you would like or would like to refuse if you have a life-threatening illness or injury.
It's not unusual to be reluctant to plan for these practicalities and to avoid uncomfortable conversations with our friends and family about how we'd like to be cared for.
Not doing so however, leaves our loved ones with no guidance for decision-making in circumstances which are already difficult and emotional.
It's most important to share your Advance Care Directive or Plan with those who will care for you should the need arise.
You can also save these documents on My Health Record, the Australian Government's online summary of your health information, to inform treating doctors and hospitals that you have specific wishes about future medical treatments and care.
With Advance Care Planning Week kicking off on 1 April, let's all take the opportunity to give this later stage of life the attention it deserves.
You can prepare an Advance Care Directive or Plan at any age.
None of us know what will happen in the future or can predict what might happen with our health.
That's why it's so important to make these decisions with our loved ones, carers and doctors now.
Jason Malone is the IRT Group Executive General Manager-Aged Care Centres
