Empowering Seniors: The Benefits of Preparing the "Three Treasures" in Advance

As Hong Kong’s population continues to age, the well-being of seniors and the growth of the silver economy have become hot topics. When it comes to seniors’ quality of life, we often consider their physical health, purchasing power, social activities, and diet. But there is one thing that is less mentioned – the "three treasures” of elderly care.

To ensure the dignity and autonomy of our beloved seniors, it’s important to respect their thoughts and decisions. The “three treasures” - a will, Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance Directives in Relation to Medical Treatment – are necessary tools for achieving this. As individuals step into the second half of their lives, it is essential to prepare these three measures as soon as possible. Many people experience sudden illnesses such as stroke, dementia, comas or mobility and cognitive loss without having made any arrangements or instructions beforehand.

If you want to make sure your wishes are respected when you get sick or pass away, it's crucial to know about the "three treasures" and make necessary arrangements ahead of time.

A will

A will states the distribution of personal estates such as money, real estate, insurance, legacy gift, business and a corporation, and appoints a trusted person to manage and distribute the assets, execute last wishes and make funeral arrangements. This can help ensure that your wishes are respected and prevent unnecessary disputes among family members over your properties and assets.

Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)

An EPA is the arrangement of your financial matters when you become mentally incapacitated. This document enables you to appoint one or more trusted attorneys to take care of your personal properties when you become mentally incapable to look after your financial affairs due to dementia, stroke, brain issues or other health conditions. If you have signed an EPA, your attorney can apply for registration with the court and lawfully use your property and sell assets to help pay for your legal, medical and living expenses according to your wishes.

Your family doctor plays an important role in the signing of an EPA. You need to involve a doctor as a witness when signing the document, and submit a photocopy of the doctor’s practising certificate for the relevant year during registration. When signing an EPA, a doctor and a solicitor must be present and ensure that you are of sound mind when signing the document.

Advance Directives in Relation to Medical Treatment

An advance directive can avoid necessary suffering before death. It is a statement that indicates a person would like to decline life-sustaining treatment when he/she is in a state of an irreversible condition and wishes to pass away naturally along with the illness progression. This arrangement applies to patients with these three conditions: being terminally ill, in a state of irreversible coma or a persistent vegetative state or having other specified end-stage irreversible illness. This can avoid unnecessary suffering caused by a series of painful treatments when the patient’s condition is irreversible. The patient can use the Advance Directive Form provided by the Hospital Authority. Two witnesses are required when signing the document, one of whom must be a registered doctor in Hong Kong and neither of the witnesses may have any interest in the estate of the patient.

By preparing the “three treasures” ahead of time, seniors and adults can protect their dignity and autonomy, prevent unnecessary medical suffering, and avoid family disputes.

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