I’m Doing This on My Own
You may not have a spouse, partner, adult child, relative, or close friend who would automatically step in if you needed help.
That can make planning ahead feel more complicated—but it doesn’t mean you can’t make a plan.
The goal isn’t to find one person who can do everything. It’s to think about the different kinds of help you might someday need, who could help with each one, and where a professional or community resource might fill a gap.
Start with the people and resources you have now. You can build from there.
Instead of asking, “Who will take care of everything?” think about the individual things you might need help with.
Who could you call if you needed a ride home from the hospital?
Who could check on your home or pets?
Who could be an emergency contact?
Who knows where your important information is?
Who would you trust to help with a decision?
Are there things you would rather have a professional handle?
You may have different answers for each one. That’s okay. You don’t need one person to fill every role.
Start With the Roles, Not the Person
What If I Don’t Have Someone for Some of These Roles?
You may look at that list and realize there are things you don’t have anyone to help with right now.
That’s useful to know. It shows you where you may want to start building a backup plan.
You don’t have to solve every gap today. Start with the one that would be hardest to deal with if you suddenly needed help.
Where Do I Start?
Pick one role where you don’t have a good answer yet.
Maybe it’s someone to call in an emergency. Maybe it’s someone who could check on your home or pet. Maybe it’s someone who could help with medical, legal, or financial decisions.
Start by figuring out what kind of help that role requires. Does it need to be someone you know personally? Does it require a professional? Is there a local service that could help?
Once you know what kind of help you’re looking for, you’ll have a better idea of where to start looking.
Some Roles May Need to Be Made Official
There’s a difference between someone who can help you with everyday things and someone who has the legal authority to act for you.
For example, you may want someone to make health care decisions for you if you can’t communicate your wishes, or to handle certain financial matters if you can no longer manage them yourself. Those roles may require legal documents. The names and requirements can vary by state.
If you don’t have an obvious person to name, that’s an especially important question to ask before you need an answer.
You don’t have to know which document you need or how to set it up before you ask for help. An attorney can explain the options available where you live and what may fit your situation.
Make Sure Someone Can Find the Basics
Even if you don’t have one person who would automatically step in, it still helps to make important information easier to find.
Think about what someone might need if you were sick, injured, or unable to explain things yourself: your medications, emergency contacts, doctors, important papers, information about your home or pets, and who should be contacted.
You don’t have to put everything in one place or share private information with everyone. The goal is simply to make sure important information isn’t impossible to find when it’s needed.
Two Steps Ahead
If you’re planning on your own, one of the most useful things you can do is make sure your plans don’t depend entirely on you being able to explain them.
Pick one thing someone might need to know if you couldn’t tell them yourself.
Where is your medication information? Who should be contacted? Is there someone who could get into your home? Who would know about a pet? Where are your important papers?
You don’t have to solve all of this today. Choose one thing, make it easier to find or understand, and then come back to another when you’re ready.