Introducing My Legacy, A Government Portal That Helps Us Through The Toughest Periods In Life

For the grieving, a proper and supportive channel to sort out all matters related to the deceased is like a gentle breeze in a scorching sunny day.

When death happens to a family member, people may be at a loss on knowing where to access documents and manage the deceased assets. Most of the time the emotional loss of a loved one is enough to stop the tracks of any rational thinking and the willpower to process any documents for the departed.

Times like this, we all need some support from others to get the day going. With an ageing population, it does cause some to wonder what happens when they grow old and who be there to sort out their final things.

Singapore government agency website, My Legacy, is trying to provide this extended care to residents in the form of a one-stop digital platform for all of these matters.

It also provides services that supports end-of-life planning, where you can explore, store, and share your end-of-life plan your will, make an advance care plan for palliative care and caregiver support.

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How Does My Legacy Work And Who Is It For

My Legacy aims to make planning the final stages of life easy and meaningful for both you and your family.

You can use the platform to document and share your end-of-life plans. It also allows you to understand what are the steps and information needed to write a will, or for estate planning.

You can also make an advanced care plan and prepare for palliative care and caregiver support.

An initiative under the Smart Nation “LifeSG” Strategic National Project, My Legacy was developed by an inter-agency taskforce looking at end-of-life matters.

The taskforce is led by the Ministry of Health and Public Service Division, with support from government agencies like Government Technology Agency (GovTech), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Family Justice Courts (FJC), and Ministry of Law (MLAW), etc.

Image Credit: MyLegacy

The portal was set up with contributions from the Singapore Hospice Council, SATA CommHealth and the Association of Funeral Directors. The website information is readable in English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil.

My Legacy Vault – The Platform For All Your Important Life Documents

The My Legacy vault is where you can plan and store your legal, healthcare and estate matters securely.

You have to login with Singpass to access the vault, which is a safeguard. It starts you off with planning your will, your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), advance care plan, CPF nomination, and funeral wishes.

You can upload documents to the vault for secure storage and you can share the information with those you trust. Your loved ones will be able to access your plans and information when they have to, and this eases up the time spent pouring over physical documents left by you in order to put together everything.

How To Start End-Of-Life Planning On My Legacy

Many people do consider writing a will so that their assets will be sorted out according to their wishes. But when searching for information online, the time consuming research process and consideration of paying for a lawyer you may not know well is pretty daunting.

Very few people have their own lawyers too, so it is tough for a regular person to just consider knocking on any lawyer’s door to get a will done.

My Legacy provides the sources for you to sort out these matters. There is a segment on the website explaining to you why you should plan ahead. The reasons explain why planning ahead helps you to have a peace of mind for you and your loved ones, and how My Legacy can help your loved ones to carry out your wishes when you are nearing the end of life and are unable to communicate or have a clear mind to convey your wishes.

Some aspects of end-of-life planning you will have to think about include preparing financial and legal documents, considering your health preferences, finding palliative care, as well as getting support if you are a caregiver.

As for getting palliative care, there are resources on what palliative care is, where to get them, and how to manage pain and other symptoms. This can be information for you to learn about or for you to read more about your loved one who needs this form of care.

There are also resources for caregivers, from home care equipment to financial assistance. Research like how to transfer a patient safely, how to carry out daily activities and what to expect in the last days are also available.

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What To Do When Death Happens

When someone passes on, the website also has quick services such as links to download a digital death certificate, finding a funeral director, a town council (if you plan to hold the funeral at the housing estate), and where to book a burial/cremation slot.

There are steps given that can be a guide for the mourners who are processing the deceased’s final wishes.

There are other information on what to do if a death is reported as a coroner’s case, or if a death happens overseas.

The next steps will be to arrange the funeral, and manage the will, inheritance, estate settlement and assets.

The portal provides a list of counselling services providers for those who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one.

Detailed Resource Page On End-Of-Life Services And Educational Workshops

The website also has a detailed resources page for visitors to find more services they need.

The services include in depth resources for end-of-life care, palliative care and home support, caregiver support, finding a hospice and home nursing care services.

There are also workshops held to educate the public about these matters. Currently, no workshops are being offered, but you can check back to the site in future to see if there will be new ones.

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