• Home
  • Ebony Speakers' Blog
  • Ebony Speakers Book
  • Meet Them All
    • About Us >
      • Vision, Values & Mission
    • Debra Gould >
      • Debra's Photo Gallery
    • Nancy Lewis >
      • Nancy's Photo Gallery
    • Michelle Porchia >
      • Michelle's Photo Gallery
    • Carole Copeland Thomas
  • Contact Us
E B O N Y   S P E A K E R S
  • Home
  • Ebony Speakers' Blog
  • Ebony Speakers Book
  • Meet Them All
    • About Us >
      • Vision, Values & Mission
    • Debra Gould >
      • Debra's Photo Gallery
    • Nancy Lewis >
      • Nancy's Photo Gallery
    • Michelle Porchia >
      • Michelle's Photo Gallery
    • Carole Copeland Thomas
  • Contact Us

Getting Your Papers in Order

5/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Michelle Porchia
There are some topics that people are uncomfortable discussing. One of them is getting your “affairs” in order. People see it as talking about death or as a “dark” subject. Having gone through and still going through trying to handle the affairs of my parents, my hope is that this gentle urging will help you and/or your family members to have a less stressful journey if you ever have to deal with illness. If you are over 18, you need to have your papers in order. As you continue your journey in life, you will need to add or update your documents.
I have had many people respond, “I have a will.” That is good and everyone needs a will. Wills are for after the person passes on. I’m talking about making sure you are taken care of while you are alive and that your loved ones have an easier time.
Please understand, I am not a legal expert. Full disclosure: I am a daughter that has had to deal with illness of parents and having to handle their affairs. It was easy with my mother because she had everything in order. It has not been easy with my dad. I don’t want my daughters/granddaughters to have to stress or struggle if I become ill or incapacitated.
Documents You Will Need At Some Point in Your Life:
  • Power of Attorney: A legal document that gives someone you choose the power to act in your place.
  • Durable Power of Attorney: Enables a trusted person to handle your affairs if you become mentally incapable. It remains valid and in effect even if you become unable to make decisions. (A regular Power of Attorney ends if you become incapacitated.)
  • Living Will: A written statement detailing a person’s desires regarding their medical treatment in circumstances in which they are no longer able to express informed consent, especially advance directive.

    The HIPAA law gives patients more control over their health information. It sets boundaries on the use and release of health records. So, unless the patient signs a form giving permission for certain people to have access to their health records, regardless of your relationship to the patient, you will not be able to receive any medical information or make medical decisions for that patient.
  • Will and Testament: A legal document by which a person expresses their wishes as to how their property is to be distributed at death and usually names one or more persons (executor) to manage the estate until its final distribution.
  • List of important information: Make sure someone knows your accounts, passwords, etc. Either have this document somewhere that is known by the key person for your affairs or give them the document.  I suggest you have a person who can sign on your bank account to pay your bills in the event you are not able to pay them. You can also have a person on your bank account to receive your money upon your death. POD = Payable on Death.

    Make sure your beneficiaries are up-to-date.

    Give your emergency contact person a list of phone numbers of people you want contacted.
  • Don’t forget your pet: Have a designated person that will take care of and/or get your pet. Have a list of instructions on the lifestyle of your pet. Have that document readily available. (I have two people in place for Kita but I don’t have her diva life style documented. That will happen shortly.)
  • Solopreneurs/Entrepreneurs: Don’t forget to have your business information documented and someone designated to handle your business affairs.
Please put these systems in place for your own good and the good of your loved ones. You can create some of these documents on your own and get them notarized. The Power of Attorney documents you will want to have done by a lawyer. The Will and Testament you can do unless you have a lot of details that need to be incorporated. Many times lawyers will give FREE workshops on estate planning at the library, senior center, churches, etc. I encourage you to attend the sessions.
Peace!
​-Michelle


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Book Debra, Michelle, Nancy or Carole for your next speaking engagement or training event.
    Click Here 
    For Details

    =======

    New Post Each Week

    Each week this blog posting will give you the strength and courage to press forward on your job, in your personal life, with your family and in your community. As Ebony Speakers we want to celebrate your victories and share in the painful impact of your challenges and difficulties.

    Archives

    December 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All
    1862
    1863
    2014
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2021
    3 C's
    Abraham Lincoln
    Accomplishments
    Accountability
    Achieving Goals
    Acknowledgment
    Action
    Advice
    African American
    African Methodist Episcopal Church
    Age Issues
    Alex Haley
    Ame
    Ame India
    Anger
    Appearance
    Arguments
    Ask Permission
    Attitude
    Authenticity
    Awareness
    Back To School
    Bad Customer Service
    Barack Obama
    Basic Principles
    Being Professional
    Beintentional
    Be Still
    Beth Williams
    Better Listening
    Beyonce
    Bill Wells
    Bishop John Bryant
    Black
    Black History Month
    Blessings
    Blind
    Blood Pressure
    Book
    Brand
    Building Repport
    Business
    Business Professionals
    Career
    Careers
    Caring
    Carole Copeland Thomas
    Carter G. Woodson
    Caste
    Cemetery
    Change
    Chapters
    Charleston South Carolina
    Chennai
    Christmas
    Church
    Civil Rights
    Civil War
    Clients
    Coaching
    Collaboration
    Colonel Harland Sanders
    Commitment
    Communication
    Communications
    Compassion
    Confederate Flag
    Conference
    Confidence
    Connections
    Contemplation
    Counseling
    Couple Ministry
    Couples
    Courage
    Courtesy
    Customer Service
    Dead
    Debra Gould
    Decoration Day
    Determination
    Detroit
    Detroit Michigan
    Diabetes
    Diana Nyad
    Diet
    Disappointments
    Diversity
    Dog
    Dogs
    Doing Better In The New Year
    Donald Trump
    Dreams
    Ebola
    Ebony Speakers
    Economize
    Education
    Effective Meetings
    Election
    Elizabeth Blackwell
    Ellis Lindsey
    Emanuel Ame Church
    Emotion
    Employee
    Employment
    Empowerment
    Encouragement
    Endurance Sports
    Entrepreneur
    Entrepreneurs
    Essentials
    Ethnic
    Europa
    Europe
    Event
    Excuses
    Exercise
    Expectations
    Failure
    Faith Based
    Families
    Family
    Fear
    First Impressions
    Fitness
    Funeral
    Gender Bias
    Georgia
    Giving Feedback
    Goal
    Goals And Objectives
    Goal Setting
    God
    Grandmother
    Great Customer Service
    Group
    Harmony
    Harvard
    Harvey Weinstein
    Hatred
    Health
    Healthcare
    Health Insurance
    Heart Healthy
    Hero
    High School Students
    Hillary Clinton
    HIPAA
    History
    Holiday
    Holidays
    Honesty
    Humor
    Ideas
    Image
    India
    Indian
    Individuals
    Innergize Day
    Integrity
    Intentional
    Intentional Life
    Intentional Networking
    Italy
    Job
    Joe Gould
    Joe Gould Jr
    Journaling
    Journalism
    Jshop
    Julianna Farquharson
    Kamala Harris
    Karla Cooper
    Keeper
    Keep Promises
    Kita
    Kunta Kinte
    Lamscd
    Language
    Larry Johnson
    Latoyia Edwards
    Leadership
    Lessons Learned
    Life
    Life Chapters
    Lifelong Learning
    Listen
    Listening
    Little Things
    Love
    Lynda Parham
    Mad
    Management
    Marian Anderson
    Marriage
    Martin Luther King Jr
    Mary Kay Ash
    Matt Lauer
    Medicar
    Medicare
    Meeting
    Mellody Hobson
    Memorial Day
    Mental Challenges
    Mentor
    Mentoring
    Met Gala
    Metropolitan Museum Of Arts Costume Institute
    Michelle Porchia
    Ministry
    Mississippi
    Motivation
    Moving On
    Multicultural
    Multicultural Conference
    Multiculural Symposium Series
    Nancy Lewis
    National Association Of Black Journalists
    National Womens March
    Negotiate
    Negotiations
    Networking
    New Year
    New Years Eve
    New Year's Resolution
    New York
    No More Excuses
    North Carolina
    November 2 Multicultural Conference
    November 5 Multicultural Conference
    November 6 Multicultural Conference
    Nursing
    Paradigm Shift
    Passion
    Pastor Fred Luter Jr
    Permission
    Personal Goals
    Perspective
    Persuade
    Persuasiveness
    Pet
    Phone
    Phone Tips
    Photo Gallery
    Plan B
    Politics
    Positioning
    Position Yourself
    Positive Attitude
    Positive Work Relationship
    Power
    Power Of Attorney
    Power Of Words
    Preach
    Presidential Election 2016
    Procrastination
    Professionalism
    Purpose
    Race
    Racism
    Rapport
    Reaching Your Goal
    Refresh
    Relationships
    Relax
    Relaxation
    Renew Your Mind
    Reposition Yourself
    Respect
    Responsibility
    Rest
    Retail
    Retool
    Rev Cecilia Bryant
    Rev Katherine Brooks
    Roots
    Russell Lacour
    Scarcity
    School
    School Systems
    Seasonal Affective Disorder
    Seasonal Depression
    Self Worth
    September 24
    Service
    Setbacks
    Sexual Assault
    Sexual Harassment
    Shame
    Siesta
    Sister
    Solopreneurs
    South Asian
    South Carolina
    Spain
    Speakers
    Speaking
    Speech
    Spiritual
    Spiritual Foundation
    State Street Corporation
    St Paul AME Church Detroit
    Strategies
    Strength
    Strength Through The Challenge
    Stress
    Students
    Success
    Summer
    Support
    Swimming
    Take A Break
    Talking
    Team
    Team Goal Setting
    Testament
    Thanksgiving
    Thought Leadership
    Tool Box
    Training
    Tranquility
    True
    Trust
    Truth
    Turning 65 Years Old
    Ugly
    Uplug
    Vacation
    Veterans Day
    Vice President
    Victim
    Video
    Volunteer
    Vote
    Voting
    Walt Disney
    Washington Dc
    Watch Night Services
    Webinar
    Week
    Wellness
    West Africa
    Who We Are
    Will
    William Wells
    Winning
    Women
    Words
    Work
    Work Life Balance
    Workplace

    RSS Feed

©2023 Ebony Speakers All Rights Reserved  Email: speaker@ebonyspeakers.com •  Phone: (504) 460-9641  
  • Home
  • Ebony Speakers' Blog
  • Ebony Speakers Book
  • Meet Them All
    • About Us >
      • Vision, Values & Mission
    • Debra Gould >
      • Debra's Photo Gallery
    • Nancy Lewis >
      • Nancy's Photo Gallery
    • Michelle Porchia >
      • Michelle's Photo Gallery
    • Carole Copeland Thomas
  • Contact Us