Suggestion List for When a Loved One Dies

I am an aging and health care specialist and in the last four months 3 friends of mine have lost a parent. This is a list I have given clients as well as friends in addition to using it myself when my loved ones were gone. I thought it might help others who are facing this difficult situation as well.

• Secure house

o Take out all documents that could be used for identity theft or fraud such as Social Security Card, Birth Certificate, Tax Returns, Credit Card Statements, Deeds, Car Title, Auto Insurance, Life Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Safety Deposit Box

o Take out valuables such as jewelry, computer, or any item that could be stuffed in a coat pocket and pawned or sold on ebay etc.

o Make sure there is noise in the house leave on a radio or TV on timers in different parts of the house

 Have a radio on when someone would be waking up or going to bed

 Have a TV on when someone would be watching in the evening (however cable sometimes – depending on the company – turn "off" at certain times making you press a button to keep a program on

 Light too need to be set for different times

o Have mail and papers picked up – like the booster papers that appear here once a week

o Have the phone forwarded so someone can't call, listen to the phone ring and conclude no one is home (you may remember I have my home phone forwarded to my cell and Jill had Martha's phone forwarded to her cell)

o Have shoveling done if that's normal on the street

o If there is a spare key kept that could be taken and copied – get it out of the house.

o Secure doors and windows – have drapes and curtains that can't be looked through but which you can tell that there is a light on at night

o Don't make it obvious you are emptying the house even though you are

o Make sure that water is run from taps so the traps don't dry out (we run the washer and the kitchen and bathroom sink taps regularly and flush the toilets).

o You can't leave the car just sit forever, what are going to do so the tires don't go flat and the gasoline go bad from condensation etc.

o Change furnace settings since you aren't keeping someone warm every day

• Financial

o Talk to the attorney about these issues (I know he'll have more to discuss than is on this list.)

o What bills are due and when –make sure utilities are paid on time because you don't want disconnected utilities

o Do a tax returns need to be filed

o Do you bank account, brokerage statements, other income or outgo documents to gather

o Notify Social Security and Pension of Disability Income providers

o Is there a safety deposit box

o Will

o Powers of Attorney are no longer effective once a person has passed

o When do the auto tags expire

o House insurance coverage and payment

• Miscellaneous

o If she has auto refill prescriptions or auto refill anything (medical supplies, supplements, magazines)

o Cancel appointments – doctor's, hair, hearing, etc.

o Will you cancel cell phone, newspaper, or other services (is there a furnace check or auto check appointment for example

o Will you rotate driving there once a month to go through the mail and take care of items that may need to be done like drive the car or checking inside the house to clean it and see if the refrigerator door has popped open, reset timers because the electricity has been off etc.

• There are other things as you know but when you have a house that is going to be empty and you won't be near to get the mail and such these are some issues/things to consider sooner rather than later in my opinion

• There will also be longer term issues like what are you going to do with the house and car that aren't suitable for this list.

Take care of yourself. You all are in my prayers.