Being seriously ill can put you in a situation in which you are no longer able to make decisions and run your personal life independently.

It makes sense to think about wills, living wills and powers of attorney in good time so that your family, or anyone acting on your behalf, can take your wishes into account later on.

• Living will (Patientenverfügung):

When you make a living will, you decide which medical procedures should and should not be used if you become seriously ill. After making one, you should check it regularly and alter it as appropriate to take account of changes in your living situation and your health.

• Power of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht):

This enables you to choose someone to act as your official representative if you become seriously ill. It also enables you to state who should have access to your bank account, who can open and answer your post and who can act on your behalf and make decisions about such things as moving into a care home and terminating your rental agreement. Remember that you may need a bank power of attorney (Bankvollmacht) as well because many banks don’t recognize the general power of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht). Your bank can give you more information about this.

• Will (Testament):

In Germany, if someone dies without a will, the law decides who inherits from them. That means children and spouses come first. If you have different ideas about who should inherit your possessions when you die, you need to write them down in a will.

You should see these documents as a precautionary measure and think about them when you’re still young, even though they don’t (yet) seem necessary on health grounds.

Further information, and standard versions of forms for granting power of attorney and making living wills, are available from the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection and from the German patient protection foundation.

The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection also provides helpful information about wills.

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