Planning For Your Future

  • Made By CUP With:
  • Community Partners
  • Tags:
  • Health

A booklet that explains the importance of life planning for low-income seniors.

VOLS staff, Peter Kempner, gives feedback to the team on a version of the design.

Aging can make things like paying bills, keeping your government assistance, and making healthcare decisions difficult. Creating life planning documents can help you keep doing these things, even if sickness or disability make it hard. They can also make sure your belongings go where you want them to go once you’ve passed away.

When you have these documents in place, you get to stay in control of your health and money. It also makes sure your wishes will be met, even if you get too sick to communicate them. Without these in place, people you may not trust may be able to make decisions over your health and belongings, and your family may get caught up in legal proceedings.

That’s why Volunteers of Legal Service - Senior Law Project collaborated with CUP and designer Clae Lu to create Planning For Your Future, a guide that explains how to create five life planning documents and the purpose of each one. It also shares resources for low-income seniors interested in life planning.

Volunteers of Legal Service - Senior Law Project is sharing the guide with their network of senior centers and legal providers. They also use this tool with their clients and during their life planning workshops.

The project team gets feedback from seniors on an early design draft.
Designer Clae Lu shares early cover options with the team.

Check out the Project

The cover and spread of Planning For Your Future

Project Update

Since launching the project VOLS has had clients come into meetings with the guide in hand sharing that they're ready to begin the life planning process. VOLS has also seen an increase in documents filed with them since the tool launched.

Project Details

Collaborators

CUP Staff: Clair Beltran and Marisa Hetzler
Partner: Volunteers of Legal Service - Senior Law Project
Designed by: Clae Lu

Special Thanks

Alayne S., Gunther Sobiech, Nick C., Sonia Gonzalez, Susan Marens, and David Plakke

Product Details

3.5″ × 5.5″ stapled booklet, 12 pages

Funding Support

Support for this project was provided by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Members Brad Lander and Antonio Reynoso.