Most people accept that financial planning is non-negotiable. You’d never tell a client, “Just wing it — your retirement will sort itself out.” But when it comes to advanced care planning, even highly organized, well-resourced families often treat it like a “later” project.

And then life throws the curveball.

For individuals living with chronic disease, that delay doesn’t just create stress — it creates risk. The same way unmanaged finances can erode wealth, unmanaged health information and unclear care preferences can erode a person’s safety, autonomy, and long-term stability.

Let’s unpack why advanced care planning deserves the same level of attention (and rigor) as financial planning.

1. Chronic Conditions Aren’t Linear — and Care Decisions Rarely Are Either

Chronic illnesses don’t move in straight lines. They ebb, flare, regress, stabilize, shift. And every shift can force new decisions:
• Hospitalization or home?
• Aggressive treatment or supportive care?
• Who’s coordinating? Who’s advocating?

Without a plan, families are left making medical, legal, and logistical decisions in the middle of anxiety, sleep deprivation, and incomplete information.

Advanced care planning gives you a roadmap before you’re standing at a crossroads. It turns crisis into controlled conversations and allows the focus to be on the right care for the patient.

2. Financial Plans Protect Assets. Care Plans Protect Autonomy.

Clients spend years building wealth strategies to protect their assets. But health crises don’t just threaten finances — they threaten independence. Indeed, your health is your greatest asset, so it should be treated as such.

A good care plan makes sure:
• The right people are authorized to speak for you
• Physicians understand your goals and values
• Treatments align with what you actually want
• No one guesses — because you’ve already made the decisions clear

For individuals with chronic disease, the likelihood of a hospitalization or sudden deterioration is simply higher. And with each event, the odds rise that someone else will have to speak on your behalf. Planning ahead ensures that voice sounds like yours, especially when chronic disease has the potential to alter or silence that voice.

3. The Healthcare System Is Complex — Information Is Power

Most people don’t realize how fragmented their medical information really is until they’re trying to gather it under pressure. Chronic disease magnifies this complexity: multiple specialists, inconsistent notes, labs scattered across systems, medications from different prescribers.

When you don’t manage your health information, the system manages it for you — and not always accurately.

A strong care plan includes:
• Organized medical records
• Medication lists
• Specialist directories
• Hospital preference
• Insurance details
• Clear communication protocols

That level of clarity doesn’t just make emergencies smoother — it prevents them.

4. Planning Reduces Family Conflict — and Burnout

This is the part no one likes to talk about, but it’s real.

Families fight when there’s no plan.
They hesitate.
They contradict one another.
They burn out trying to guess what “the right thing” is.

For people with chronic disease, loved ones are often already stretched thin. Advanced care planning removes the guesswork, gives everyone the same playbook, and dramatically reduces emotional and logistical strain.

5. It Complements — Not Replaces — Financial Planning

The best financial advisors understand this: health crises can undo years of meticulous planning.

When chronic disease is involved, the risk is even sharper — long-term care needs, loss of income, transportation challenges, caregiver costs, care transitions.

A comprehensive plan weaves together:
• financial strategy
• insurance strategy
• legal planning
• health information management
• patient advocacy

The goal is simple: protect quality of life and the ability to make (or guide) decisions for as long as possible.

6. Advanced Care Planning Isn’t Just an End-of-Life Document — It’s an Ongoing Strategy

This part needs to be said loudly.

Advanced Care Planning isn’t something you complete at 85. It’s a living strategy that evolves as health evolves. Chronic disease management is a long arc, and planning should grow alongside it.

Annual review? Absolutely.

Update after a hospitalization? Critical.

Reassess when medications or diagnoses change? Non-negotiable.

Your health doesn’t stand still — your plan can’t either.

Final Thought: Doing Nothing Is a Decision

If you’re living with a chronic condition — or caring for someone who is — advanced care planning isn’t a luxury or a “someday” task. It’s a form of protection every bit as important as a will, a trust, or a retirement strategy.

Clear directives. Organized information. Aligned decision-makers.
That’s peace of mind.
That’s continuity.
That’s dignity.