Seniors, can we talk?
When Ruth called and asked if we could meet for lunch instead of her coming into my office I was concerned. This was a first. At lunch Ruth immediately said she had an awful February. The entire month was full of sad but real life events. A pause then Ruth asked me “What does ‘dying too soon’ mean?” Before I could say anything she said that her lifelong, best friend, Betty, died of cancer. Betty was diagnosed with cancer less than a year ago at age. . . does it really make any difference how old she was? Ruth felt that she died too soon. She lost her friend. No more phone calls about nothing. No more “how to fix the world” conversations. Ruth said one of the hardest things was when she had to take Betty out of her phone “contacts”. Fortunately, Betty had time to update her Will, think about her funeral and decide what “things” she wanted her family and friends to have to remember her by. Money was set aside to pay for her final expenses and medical bills not covered by her insurance. What a wonderful gift that was. Even notes to give Ruth her shoes, since they wore the same size. Then Ruth said that during Betty’s last days she had gotten a call about another friend, Susie. Susie’s husband died. He had “had gotten sick along the way” and had a history of heart problems. He was doing fine the past few years but didn’t feel good that day. He told Betty that he wanted to go to the emergency room. As she was helping him put on his clothes, he died. Susie’s husband always took care of “their business affairs” and paid all the bills. Now Susie is totally lost – she lost her husband, had her credit card that she uses cancelled because it was in his name and has no idea what bills she has. Is his Will current? Betty will know when she finds it – somewhere in the house! At this point I understood why Ruth said February was an awful month. As I was getting ready to try to comfort her, Ruth said that her Aunt Mary turned 103rd birthday. Wow! 103 years old. Her Aunt Mary had not planned on living this long. In fact she has outlived her only daughter and son-in-law. She is now in a nursing home in the memory unit. A few years ago her Aunt Mary had gone into the nursing home/rehab after she fell. Then went home and fell four more times. She then returned to the nursing home as a resident. After her initial fall, Aunt Mary had gotten all her paperwork and assets in order in case she “lived too long”. Which will happen to you - die too soon, get sick along the way or live too long? Well’s talk more about these - call me at 501-868-6650 and say “Caroline, can we talk?”
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AuthorCaroline Beauchamp specializes in personalized life and health insurance solutions. Archives
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