Final answer:
Jessica must ensure that her end-of-life decisions are clear, encompassing health care, living arrangements, and the respect for her relationship identity. Planning ahead includes arranging living wills, retirement, and medical power of attorney, with special considerations for LGBTQ identities in long-term care settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jessica, a 78-year-old never married woman is making end-of-life decisions for herself. It is particularly important that she ensures her wishes regarding health care, living arrangements, and her personal and relationship identity are respected and followed. As elderly individuals, like Jessica, are making proactive quality-of-life decisions, the emphasis has shifted from reliance on family to making one's own plans for housing that allows independence while receiving necessary care, handling legal concerns such as living wills, retirement planning, and medical power of attorney in advance.
In the context of LGBTQ individuals, these decisions can also involve choosing how and when to share their sexual identity, especially in long-term care settings. Studies show that a significant number of LGBTQ older adults do not feel it would be safe to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity in such facilities, implicating the need for careful planning regarding where to receive care and who to entrust with legal authority over one's personal affairs.