Your CartSitting at my desk this morning in the pre-dawn hours, I found myself reflecting back over the past year. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been able to participate in and the people I have met in 2022. The stories individuals have shared with me regarding their past and present experiences dealing with a sudden illness or loss have only solidified my resolve to assist those seeking a solution to being better prepared...sooner rather than later.
Speaking to older adults is a bit different than speaking to those in their 30's and 40's. Most of the older adults have already experienced the loss of loved ones or are in the midst of…
Author's Insights
This section provides information relating to topics covered in the organizer. Additional insights will be posted weekly.
If you have a question or would like to see a certain topic covered, send a note to the author through the contact page.
The Holiday Chat
posted on November 25, 2022
Thanksgiving Day was yesterday. A day of food indulgences for most people in the United States and spending extended time with family and friends. Some gatherings are joyful and loving while other gatherings might be grueling and tumultuous due to family rifts or loss of loved ones who were not seated at the table this year. Sometimes the chatter and activities are non-stop which can also cause anxiety for those who are more introverted or prefer a calmer surrounding.
I liked a comment I once received over Facebook saying, “we've hugged, smiled too much, had a bunch of dried up casseroles for dinner, and now we are all sitting in the family…
Category:
Having "The Talk"
Wills
posted on October 4, 2022
January is always a time in our household that we clean out the files from the previous year in preparation for filing taxes and making more room for the coming year's records.
It is also a great time to pull out and review our legal documents, insurance policies, investment and banking accounts.
If you have not done so to date, now is the time to contact an attorney to create a Will, Durable Power of Attorney, Healthcare Representative and other legal documents you might need, that will greatly reduce the difficulty for your family or representatives when the time comes!
I have encountered so many people who have shared with me that they…
Category:
Legal and Accounting
Selecting Your Legal Representatives
posted on October 4, 2022
The article I wrote last week for When The Time Comes, related to legal documents that are a very important part of preparing for a medical crisis or death. Now, let's take a look at the important characteristics of the individuals you choose to fill those positions.
The number one characteristic, regardless if it is a family member or friend, is TRUSTWORTHINESS. Right now, today, would you trust this person with your life? Your money? Your family? Your property and other assets? Do they have their own personal finances in order? Have they made good decisions for themselves and their own family? If you cannot trust them today, what makes…
Category:
Legal and Accounting
Legal Representatives
posted on October 4, 2022
In my organizer, When The Time Comes, I make an assumption that most people have completed the needed legal documents relating to estate planning but I know that is not always the case. Although, in my opinion, the legal documents are only about one-third of the needed information for someone to have prepared for estate planning, they are very important!
One of the comments I hear most often from people who have not prepared the necessary legal documents is that they haven't moved forward because they do not know who to select for their Executor, Durable Power of Attorney or Health Care Representative.
Other comments: They do not want to…
Category:
Legal and Accounting
Preparing for when a death occurs
posted on September 10, 2022
When a loved one dies, whether anticipated due to illness or unexpected due to an accident or medical crisis, our world is turned upside down. Often, the grief is so overwhelming that we don't know what to do or what steps to take first.
The last section of my organizer, When The Time Comes, is titled “When Death Occurs.” This section helps you walk through the intial steps to take after a death has occurred.
The first step, after notifying family and friends, is meeting with a funeral home who will assist you with funeral plans. This requires a telephone call to make an appointment to meet with a funeral director to discuss your options.…
Category:
Medical and End of Life
Conversations
posted on September 1, 2022
Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to be a part of several group gatherings relating to aging and to also speak at a conference on aging. I always enjoy the one on one conversations I have with individuals who often have specific questions relating to being prepared for end of life issues or who share their own personal stories.
Most often the comments are something like, “It was so stressful trying to find all the right documents.” “You really see the worst in people (family) when you are dividing property.” “I never knew how much junk my Dad had collected over the years.” “I will never leave my kids with the…
Category:
Getting Started
Questions and Answers
posted on September 1, 2022
Three Important Questions
Regardless of your age, are you prepared to handle a medical crisis or an incapacitating injury that affects you or your loved one, if it happened today?
Are you prepared if an unexpected death happened to you or a loved one today?
Have you ever been faced with making medical or financial decisions on behalf of a loved one?
Having worked with individuals and families for over 40 years facing these situations, I can attest that few people are truly prepared. Some may have the most common legal documents like a Will, Power of Attorney, and Healthcare Representative in place, but that is just the tip of…
Category:
Getting Started
Credit Cards
posted on July 9, 2022
Credit and debit cards are the primary way people presently make purchases and pay bills. In my When The Time Comes organizer, there is a section just for information regarding credit/debit cards.
As I write about in my organizer, this one area of a client's estate took me many weeks to address. Having found over 20 credit/debit cards lying around this person's house that were stuck in drawers, found in boxes, a few in a wallet, and a few mixed in with stacks upon stacks of paperwork. This chore alone was the most difficult to bring to completion while working this client's very small estate.
I had no way of knowing if the cards were…
Category:
Digital Assets and Credit Cards
Insurance
posted on July 9, 2022
Generally, when we think about insurance the first thing that comes to mind is health, home and auto. In today's world, there are so many types of insurance sold and so many different company's selling insurance. Many people shop insurance for the best price so you may have your auto with a company you found online, your home with a local company, and your health through your employer.
Quite often, it is one family member who handles the insurance for the entire family and other members of the family have no clue what types of insurance they have, who the agents are, or who the carriers are.
Think about your elderly parents for a moment.…
Category:
Insurance and Social Security