No one ever plans to be sick or disabled. Yet, planning can make all the difference in an emergency or at end-of-life. Being prepared and having important documents in a single place can give you peace of mind, help ensure your wishes are honored and lessen the burden on your loved ones. This list provides common steps to consider when getting your affairs in order.

• Plan for your estate and finances. Depending on your situation, you may choose to prepare different types of legal documents that outline how your estate and finances will be handled in the future. Common documents include a will, durable power of attorney for finances and a living trust. A will outlines how your estate — your property, money, and other assets — will be distributed and managed when you die. A durable power of attorney for finances names someone who will make financial decisions for you when you are unable to. And a living trust names and instructs a person, called the trustee, to hold and distribute property and funds on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so.

• Plan for your future health care. Many people choose to prepare advance directives, which are legal documents that provide instructions for medical care and only go into effect if you cannot communicate your own wishes due to disease or severe injury. The most common advance directives include a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care, but you should also document current prescriptions, copies of med

ical orders or forms, and health insurance information, including policies and phone numbers.

• Put your important papers and copies of legal documents in one place. You can set up a file, put everything in a desk, dresser drawer, portable documents box you can get at any office supply store, or list the information and location of papers in a notebook. For additional security, consider a fireproof and waterproof safe to store your documents. Important documents include sources of income and assets, social security information, insurance details, bank names and numbers, copies of tax returns, location of your will, car titles, credit card information, house deeds and more.

• Tell someone you know and trust where to find your important papers. You don’t need to discuss your personal affairs, but someone you trust should know where to find the documents and papers you’ve organized in case of an emergency.

• Talk to your loved ones and a doctor about advance care planning. A doctor can help you understand future health decisions you may face and plan the kinds of care or treatment you may want. Having this discussion with your doctor is free through Medicare during your annual wellness visit. Share your decisions with your loved ones to help avoid any surprises or misunderstandings about your wishes.

• Give permission in advance for a doctor or lawyer to talk with your caregiver as needed. If you need help managing your care, you can give your caregiver permission to talk with your doctors, your lawyer, your insurance provider, a credit card company or your bank.

• Review your plans regularly. It’s important to review your plans at least once each year and when any major life event occurs, like a divorce, the death of a spouse, an address change, or a major change in your health.

As they say, any task, no matter how daunting, can only be tackled one step at a time. If you have gotten started on gathering this important information, good for you. If you have not, the slower, winter months are a great time to get started. If you need help, there are many great resources in El Paso County, beginning with the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging, the El Paso County Department of Human Services and our helpful librarians at the Pikes Peak Library District.