She was just 26 years old when she went into cardiac arrest, fell down in her apartment and was rushed to the hospital. She lapsed into a coma and spent 15 years of her life in what doctors diagnosed as an "irreversible persistent vegetative state".

For all that time she was unable to make any medical decisions whatsoever. Her husband believed she did not want to live in that state, and asked that her feeding tube be removed, but her parents disagreed.

The legal battles that followed made history, and debates raged across the USA. She was known to the world as Terri Schiavo.

There are two basic steps you can take to plan ahead. No one likes thinking about the worst, let alone planning for it, but if Terri's situation has taught us anything, it's that planning for such events saves your family a great deal of potential heartache, and it puts the focus on your life and your wishes.

A living will is the first step to making sure you're prepared in case of a medical emergency where you cannot make decisions for yourself. It simply spells out in detail exactly what kind of medical procedures you do or do not want performed on you and indicates whether or not you want to be resuscitated and what you want done under a variety of other medical conditions, including comatose and a persistent vegetative state.

It's important that you consult with your family whenever you make these decisions. This way, it's clear what your wishes are. It's also important to include a financial professional in your planning process, to make sure you aren't missing any crucial information or steps.

Your living will deals generally with a variety of medical procedures and can be as general or as complex as you want. The more complex you make it, the more your wishes are known, and this is crucial, so that it's clear precisely what you want. A little contemplation can go a long way to save family and friends from heartache and legal battles over what may initially seem like minor medical details.

Next, name a medical power of attorney. A medical power of attorney can go by many names, including advance directive and health care proxy. It's all the same basic principle. By naming a medical power of attorney, you simply designate someone to act as sole medical decision maker in your absence / incapacity. Most frequently, a spouse is named to this position, though it's wise to name someone else in reserve just in case your spouse is incapacitated as well.

Appointing a medical power of attorney and drafting a living will are only two ways to be prepared. Preparing a complete estate plan with a financial professional and an estate planning attorney is one way you're more likely to have your wishes honored from all sides, both financial and medical.

Another crucial element is your long term care insurance which had better be bought as early as possible. The likelihood of long term care is overwhelming compared with other common risks like auto accidents or home fires