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Preparing for Disasters
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Elaine from Pea Ridge, Arkansas recently sent this comment in about preparing for disasters:
"I read your article this week on storing important papers, and it brought something to mind. There have been several tornados in my region over the last few years and several communities were hit hard. My church's Disaster Relief Ministry talked to those affected to find out their needs. We discovered that many had fled their homes in the middle of the night, and didn't have time to grab anything except their loved ones. The next morning they found themselves without money, credit cards, identification, medication, cell phones, etc.
Our Disaster Relief Ministry encourages people to keep a small bag (of any type) that could be grabbed in a hurry. I have an old purse in which I keep about $100 in smaller bills, copies of my credit cards, driver's license, social security card, and an ID card that I made myself with vital information and allergies. I also keep a week's supply of my medications, an extra set of keys, and some simple toiletries."
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Greetings!
In most of the training sessions I give, I often say something to the effect of, "When you have surprises in your schedule you feel stress, chaos and disorganized. Heads always nod in agreement because we've all been on the receiving end of being thrown for a loop.
This month's articles deal with being prepared for end-of-life issues. You may think this topic is morbid, but when properly addressed, it will bring peace and comfort to you and your entire family. I hope you'll find these resources helpful in avoiding unnecessary stress during what could be a very stressful time of life.
Warmest regards,
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Start the Conversation and Arrange to Have Things Your Way
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- 60% of people say that making sure their family is not burdened by tough decisions is "extremely important".
 - 56% have not communicated their end-of-life wishes.
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)
The most important part of preparing for end-of-life issues is to start the conversation before it is necessary. This might start out as an uncomfortable and awkward moment with your loved ones, but those closest to you will feel nothing but relief once they hear of your wishes, intentions and desires. Here are five resources dedicated to helping you start this all-important process.
Five Wishes
First introduced in 1997 and now available online and in 26 languages, this resource is written in everyday language and helps start and structure important conversations about care in times of serious illness. It meets the technical requirements in 42 states; you can view a sample of the document online.
My Care Directives
My Care Directives provides an online resource to create a healthcare directive, also called an advance directive, which is a legal document that describes your end of life wishes. It is more than a Living Will. This service does a great job in explaining the two parts of every Healthcare Directive while at the same time providing a tool that enables a more approachable and meaningful process for exploring and communicating end-of-life healthcare preferences with loved ones.
Prepare for your Care
Developed by a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco, this website is built with older users in mind, even those who have little to no computer experience. The letters are large-font and the big buttons intuitive. Videos include closed captions for people with hearing loss, and text can be read aloud for those with poor sight. Yet it's clear, not condescending.
The Conversation Project
Designed to help you actually get started in having a conversation with your family and loved ones, this website provides fabulous resources to get the ball rolling. They provide a Free Starter Kit which can be downloaded or printed. |
Organizing with the End in Mind
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In order to make things as easy as possible for your survivors, be sure to organize important documents prior to your passing. And whatever you do, communicate to a loved one the location of this information. Here are some important items to take into consideration when organizing important documents:
- Is your will, healthcare directive, life insurance policy safely stored in a home safe or safety deposit box?
- Have you provided the safe combination or extra set of keys to a safety deposit box to a family member? Do they know the location of your safe or safety deposit box?
- Have you provided copies of your will to the Executor of your estate as well as the Legal Guardians of your children?
- If you own a life insurance policy, be sure to notify the beneficiaries that the policy exists. They should know where your policy is stored and who the life insurance company is. Here's why: According to a new Consumer Reports investigation at least $1 billion in benefits aren't being paid out each year because individuals were either never told they were listed as beneficiaries or they can't locate the actual policy.
- If you have young children, consider choosing back-up legal guardians in case your first choice of guardians isn't able to fulfill the responsibilities at the time of your passing. Your attorney will want to list both guardians in your will.
- Record and safely store a list of all bank accounts, investment accounts, property deeds, legal documents and passwords. Don't forget to make note of your Social Security number as well.
- Record the names and contact information of those whom your Executor will need to contact such as your accountant, attorney, and investment advisor.
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