Tuesdays With Elders - Auntie Rose and Family Info

Himself and I finally got our estate planning affairs in order. Power of Attorney (the primo document), Healthcare Proxy, and Wills. The planning wasn't nearly as painful or expensive as I thought it would be. I was feeling a bit smug as I signed all the documents at the attorney's office. Our girls would not have to go through the angst of going through the court system to have either of us declared incompetent as we had to do with my mother. Our papers were signed and our ducks were in a neat, little row.

Then the attorney asked if something happened to either of us would the girls know where to find copies of these documents, bank accounts, safe deposit box, homeowner's insurance documents, social security numbers, marriage and birth certificates. The list went on and on.

She handed me papers with blank lines to fill out personal information, bank information, etc. She called the papers Aunt Tilly. She said most families had an Aunt Tilly, the family member who knew the family history and information on all members. The problem is Aunt Tilly carries all this information around in her head, but has never written it down. What happens if Aunt Tilly isn't the last woman standing?

I'm in the process of filling out the Auntie Rose papers. Readers of Whine and Cheeze (the blog I kept about dealing with elderly parents) will recognize the picture of the psychic my mother sent money to. Ma had the psychic's picture on the family wall so The Nephew named her Auntie Rose.

If something should happen to you (God forbid!) would your children or other family members know where to find your Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, and other important papers if Auntie Rose isn't around? Maybe you should sit down with your Aunt Tilly or Auntie Rose, too.