What is later life planning?

You may not think about your later life until you are about to retire. The Later Life Planning booklet helps you to think about your later life earlier using a series of questions. These can help you to make changes now that can prepare you for your future.

• You make choices and decisions, rather than leaving things to chance, or letting others make decisions for you
• You can establish how much time you have to give to each area of your life now. To give you the best opportunities for the later life you want to have
• Having a sense of purpose keeps you happier, more relaxed and gives you peace of mind
• It helps you to think more about your later life from a new perspective
• It helps you to be able to look back in later life with no regrets
• You can keep the booklet and revisit it as your circumstances change

This guide helps you to think about six areas of later life planning for you personally. It has useful website links for more information.

The six areas are:

• Planning for retirement and after
• Staying in work
• Getting back into work
• Bereavement
• Preparing for own possible care
• Other life changes – avoiding empty nest syndrome

There will be other later life changes that may be personal to you. This booklet can prompt you to think about those personal later life changes and plan ahead for them. Looking at finances, connections with others, emotional and physical health.

To start making plans now for your later life. There is a table at the end of the booklet. You can prioritise all those things that are most important for you personally.