As a parent of a caregiver of someone with an SMI, you have likely identified the individual(s) that you believe will provide continuity of care after your passing. Though these people might be close friends, relatives, or even siblings, there are likely details and nuances to their care that only you know. Since only you know them, the only way for your “successors” to know them is to communicate them somehow. Though not legally binding, a Letter of Intent is an ideal format by which to pass along this wealth of knowledge.
Consider the breadth of details that you keep in your head and intuitively “know” after years or even decades of experience. These details might include past reactions and side effects to different medications, the pharmacy that is easiest to work with, preferred friends, favorite leisure activities, favorite foods, doctors seen, doctors NOT to see in the future (!), and so on. Without committing this body of knowledge to paper, your chosen Advocate(s) will need to go though the trial-and-error process just like you did to re-create the wheel. How much easier would it be if you simply communicated all this information in a straightforward document!
A Letter of Intent should provide information to your successor about personal information, personal and professional relationships, medical history and care, housing, financial matters, daily living skills, work or day programs, leisure, religion, and values around care. Once complete, a Letter of Intent should be reviewed annually to ensure it is current.
Though it calls for a little work up-front, a well-crafted Letter of Intent will provide important guidance that will ultimately benefit your Advocate and your loved one.