Estate-Preplanning-Sympahty 2/16

Herald Journal Publishing, Inc. PO Box 129 Winsted, MN 55395 Postal Customer PRESORT STANDARD ECRWSS U. S. POSTAGE PAID Herald Journal Publishing Inc. Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 ESTATE, PRE-PLANNING, AND SYMPATHY – G U I D E – About this section: why this topic? When we were choosing topics for special newspaper sections, the idea of death and dying was awkwardly proposed. We publish sections on various topics – automotive, farm, health and medical, weddings, baseball, families, home and yard, entertainment, etc. This one was different. The other subjects are generally viewed positively. This one makes us uncomfortable. But slowly we realized, despite the discomfort, this topic affects all people. Everyone gets a turn. One turn. If you haven’t experienced the death of someone close to you yet, you will someday. The only way you won’t is if you happen to go first. After choosing to highlight Dale Kovar this topic, we struggled with a name – “Estate and Pre-Planning,” “Sympathy and Understanding,” “End of Life Issues,” or even outright “Death and Dying.” It’s a subject that many of us like to avoid, but the issues involving the last stages of life, and death itself, are just as important as any others we face along the way. Death and dying is an industry – funeral homes, florists, monuments, hospice care, medical care to delay death, estate planning, counseling, life insurance, and many more. It’s a sensitive matter because we know the emotional grief associated with it. And it’s never easy. One day Mom is here and gone the next, or Dad withers away for many months in medical facilities. Whether sudden or prolonged, the loss is painful. I’ll never forget 20 years ago when my uncle with colon cancer entered hospice care. A nurse asked him how he felt about dying. His response was: “It’s been done before.” We didn’t quite know if he was joking or serious, or a combination. But it was a simple, profound statement. Christians have hope in the knowledge of resurrection and eternal life in a perfect place – Heaven – without pain or problems. All one has to do is accept that gift. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:4 (New Living Translation) An obituary we carried in our newspapers last year included a quote from D. L. Moody which sums it up nicely: “As soon as you read in the newspaper that I am dead, don’t believe it for a minute. I will be more alive than ever before.” In the meantime, we have today’s newspaper and our “Estate, Pre-Planning, and Sympathy” section. We hope you find it of value. Creating Advance Directives Y ou’ve heard advance directives mentioned on TV medical dramas or on the news. But what are they and how should you use them? Chilson Funeral Home How do you want to be remembered? And who will tell your story? Why do caring people Pre-arrange? How many things have you insured against in your lifetime? Oddly enough, all the things we insure against may never happen. But, when one talks about final arrangements, the only certainty in life, no one thinks to insure the inevitable. It only makes sense, for so many reasons. We can answer any questions that you have regarding pre-planning. 200 Fairlawn Ave W. • Winsted (320) 485-4447 Advance directives are legally binding agreements that determine end-of-life processes and include living wills and medical powers of attorney. It is important to note that emergency personnel cannot honor advance directives. Once on duty, they must exercise every effort to stabilize a person for transfer to a hospital. Advance directives can be implemented only after a physician fully evaluates the person’s physical state and determines the underlying conditions. What you should know Advance directives are legally valid throughout the United States, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO.org). Even if the directive isn’t drafted by an attorney, your documentation becomes legally valid upon you signing them in front of the required witnesses. If you do decide to seek the services of an attorney, be sure to ask about compliance regulations and standards in your state. State-by-state The way advance directives work in one state are not always the same as another. Many states will honor out-of-state directives if they are similar enough to their own law, but the difference between state requirements can be confusing. Check with your state officials to get updated information on advance di- rectives. The NHPCO recommends that people who spend large amounts of time in multiple states should complete the directives in all of them. Do advance directives expire? Advance directives do not expire but can be invalidated if a new one is com- pleted. Experts urge you to periodically review your advance directives to ensure their alignment with your wishes, which can change as life progresses. If you want to edit your documents, then you should complete a whole new draft. • Business Planning • Tax Planning • Corporate Taxes • Individual Taxes • Partnership Taxes • Estate & Trust Taxes • Accounting Services • General Business Consulting STOP BY OR CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 107 2nd St. S. • PO Box 40 • Winsted, MN 55395 320-485-2191 • [email protected]