Emergency Preparedness 101

Posted on Posted in Community Announcement

Last updated on October 20, 2024.

The following appeared in the November 2023 Newsletter for the Parkinson’s Support Group of Green Valley, and is re-posted here with Valerie’s gracious approval.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM

by Valerie Kiesel
Copyright (c) 2024, Valerie Kiesel

As we’ve lost another one of our own this week, I am reminded how crucial it is to have that discussion so many of us shy away from or put off for later. But for our loved ones who survive us it is critical that we prepare in advance for our ultimate end. There, was that delicate enough?

It’s not easy to take on such a touchy topic but it is as important a tool in your preparedness toolkit as planning for power outages or monsoon flooding. “Preparing for the Future,” “End of Life Planning,“ “Estate Planning.” Po-tay-toh, po-tah-toh. What it boils down to is Making Tough Choices because the planning you do now can make things easier and provide some sense of control for you now and your loved ones after. This isn’t a topic anyone wants to contemplate. However, discussing your loved one’s wishes now, before a medical crisis, is crucial. By planning ahead you can make the journey more manageable and less stressful.

So it’s time to put on our big kid panties, or man up or step up or however you want to phrase it.

But here’s a quick and easy guide to what needs done.

(Eep, did I say quick and easy? Ok, let’s break it down)

  • Legal Documents & Will (or Trust)
  • Medical Directives (outlines your medical care preferences in case you’re not in a condition to make decisions) Otherwise known as a Medical Power of Attorney but also may include a notarized Do Not Resuscitate order at your discretion)
  • Financial Power of Attorney
  • Letter of Instruction/Intent Includes but need not be limited to:
    • Insurance
    • Investments
    • Who gets what (things not itemized in your will)
    • Pets
    • Safe deposit box location
    • Location of all keys
    • Passwords and logins, with list of all social media accounts to be shut down
    • Where to find important paperwork like titles, deeds, birth certificates, marriage (and/or divorce) certificates, passports, military identification/discharge papers (DD214), etc.)
    • Location of mailbox
    • Wishes for burial or cremation, funeral arrangements, obituary
    • Arrangements for organ or body donation (needs to be known by family members and executor before a disaster occurs)
    • List of people to be notified of your death
    • Leave a message for loved ones

Organize Practical Information

Ok, those are the legal documents. Now what practical information are we talking about needing organized? Some of those listed in the Legal category (that’s just a list, now we need to organize them) and more. Find a banker’s box or file drawer or fire safe – any known to your survivors will do.

  • Location of personal papers:
    • durable power of attorney
    • divorce decree
    • last will and testament, Living Will
    • inventory of personal property
    • inventory of contents of safe deposit box
    • birth certificates,
    • marriage certificate
    • military records
    • naturalization papers
    • school diplomas
    • others: adoption papers,etc.
  • Financial information:
    • List of savings and checking accounts and certificates of deposit to include bank address type of account names on account, etc.
    • Life insurance: location of all policies (policy number, whose life is insured, company, company address)
    • Accident insurance: coverage, company, address, policy number, beneficiary, location of policy, agent, if any.
    • Auto insurance: coverage, company, address, policy number, location of policy
    • Homeowners insurance: coverage, company, address, policy number, location of policy
    • Other insurance: medical insurance: coverage, company, address, policy number
    • Mortgage insurance company, address, policy number, location of policy.
    • Credit cards: company, phone, names on card, account number, type of credit card.
    • Loans outstanding, other than mortgage: bank or mortgage company
    • Investments: Stocks/Bonds/Mutual funds: company, name on certificates, number of shares, certificate, numbers, purchase, price, and date, location of certificates
    • Income tax returns: location of all previous returns still maintained (federal, state, local)
    • House, condominium, cooperative, HOA.
    • Property taxes: Cost of house: initial buying price purchase closing fee.
      • Veterans’ exception exemption claim: location of documentation, papers, annual amount, taxes: amount, location of receipts
      • Itemized improvements
      • Lease, landlord
      • Warranties, receipts
  • Medical: Doctors, dentist, specialists, pharmacy.
  • Cemetery and funeral plot: cemetery plot: funeral director

Does this look like a lot of work? Yes, it is, but I was told that you can move mountains by tablespoons. Choose one thing to do today and in a couple of days do another thing and then a another thing, or make a date and time each week that you and your partner can sit down and knock off one of the categories or sub categories. If you’re wild and crazy guy and/or gal, you can always make a game out of it (not saying that Bob and I have done that but you know we are wild and crazy!) Last, but not least there are a lot of helps on the Internet for many of these categories. There are fill-in the blank wills, letters of instructions, etc. There are workbooks that you can get that are fill-in the blank. I have a document I prepared from many resources I found online that I have shared with the caregivers group that basically knocks out the financial and practical categories. If anyone is interested in that information, they can contact me at .

The item that my partner and I settled on is called an NOKBOX. That stands for Next of Kin Box. It has folders and worksheets for each of the above categories along with questions to walk you through each set. Then after you die your executor or next of kin flips over the worksheet and there is a list of instructions for them to complete in each category and sub category. There is also an envelope with tags for all of your keys so your keys are in one place. (Just a word to the wise from this cheapskate. I found out the hard way. I thought I could buy the low cost version and use what folders and boxes, etc. I had on hand. I ended up buying more file folders, more hanging files and eventually a fire safe box to accommodate everything. If I had bought their fire safe box initially I would have spent less money. (And no, I don’t get a cut for pushing this particular product.)

Other Resources

Bob

Here are two other useful resources: