SINGAPORE - In the local movie Good Goodbye, directed by Daniel Yam, there was a poignant window when actor Julie Tan disappeared for weeks from her boyfriend’s view. She had resigned from the hospice they were both passionately working at, without letting him know.

Tosh Zhang, who played her better half, kept going back to the same places where they had dated, as well as her home, to look for her, but to no avail.

As it turned out, she had a relapse in her cancer status, and did not know how to engage in the difficult conversation with Zhang. She could not wrap her head around how to engage in end-of-life planning.

Other actors who starred in the movie were Shane Pow, Yang Shibin, Andie Chen, Aster Yeow and Teo Ser Lee.

The film opened in cinemas on March 28.

Difficult conversations

Having these discussions with your loved ones can be hard and sometimes unexpected. Even conversations with yourself are sometimes near impossible.

The authorities want to smoothen these dialogues.

To facilitate pre-planning for Singaporeans nationwide, the Government – including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Public Service Division – has established the My Legacy programme. This includes services on end-of-life planning, such as the lasting power of attorney, advance medical directive and advance care planning.

What are these services?

The lasting power of attorney refers to a legal document that allows a donor to elect trusted people to act on his behalf should he lose mental capacity due to conditions such as dementia or a coma. The document is valid only if the donor is certified by a doctor to have lost mental capacity.

Unlike the lasting power of attorney, the two other documents – advance medical directive and advance care planning – are not legally binding. They are early conversations you have with the people close to you about your preferred medical and care arrangements, in case something unanticipated happens later in life.

In addition, Singaporeans may also want to make sure that all other wills, insurance plans and Central Provident Fund documents have legal beneficiaries. This reduces unnecessary delays if the person who dies unexpectedly does not have all aspects of his end planned out well.

Insurance helps individuals to deal with life’s uncertainties.

Having these documents ready can be useful not just for indicating your preferences, but also securing the financial and medical preparations needed to deliver the care you want. These can include having insurance plans that cover the activities of daily living, such as dressing, washing and feeding.

One example of the use of such documents is if you unfortunately become mentally incapacitated and your loved ones have to decide whether to continue life-sustaining medical aid for you. The lasting power of attorney can convey your intentions clearly, leaving those around you with no doubt as to what you as an individual want – whether this involves one’s affairs, welfare or property.

Importance of end-of-life planning

Why is it important for people to engage in end-of-life planning ahead of time?

First, this planning is not just for the person dying, but also for the benefit of those around him, who genuinely want to make the right decision. Giving them the time to grasp what you wish for is important for them.

Second, some of the judgments you have to make when it comes to end-of-life planning can get technical and difficult, especially with medical advancements. What is cardiopulmonary resuscitation? What is the difference between an intensive care unit versus a high dependency care unit?

Third, this is not just something that old people need to do. If you have a sound mind now, whether you are young or old, you are able to express your wishes and help those around you understand your needs.

Fourth, in many cases, our elderly parents may require our aid to explain to them in appropriate language what the difference is between the types of pre-planning they need. This assists them in making informed choices.

Fifth, doctors also appreciate it when their patients have their lasting power of attorney and other pre-plans completed. This makes the hospital or hospice admission more efficacious, as one nominated person is making the broad decisions.

End-of-life planning is critical.

It sets a framework for a problem that we have always known to exist, but needed a systematic way of thinking about. It applies logic mixed with emotions, helping young and old people, men and women, to resolve deep-seated issues in their lives, for the benefit of their friends and family.

Finally, it removes anxiety from a phase in your life when you get to say – calmly and peacefully – all the goodbyes that are necessary.

To raise awareness of this initiative, Great Eastern announced its sponsorship of Good Goodbye, as it is a meaningful and heart-warming film centred around the themes of palliative care and fighting cancer. The movie prompts individuals to think about the type of goodbye they want to bid to their loved ones.

We hope to spark conversations and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their care preferences and the financial planning and insurance coverage needed to ensure they receive the care and support they deserve.

Towards the end of Good Goodbye, Tan and Zhang are reconciled and they appear in a church, prepared to go through with their wedding ceremony. While it isn’t obvious if they got married in the end, since Tan fainted as Zhang was about to put the ring on her finger, what is clear is that the mental incapacitation did not stop their renewal of vows.

The loving couple was able to bid a Good Goodbye.

• The writer is head of products and propositions at Great Eastern.