There have been a couple of threads about ageing in CM recently and I thought I would share a document I found out about a few days ago. It's available direct from Age UK (see http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/home-safety-and-security/lifebook/) but you normally have to phone to receive it.

It's called Lifebook and is designed to let you note all the details of your life (bank accounts, insurance, will, pets, funeral wishes, etc), to help those who may have to care for you when you can no longer care for yourself.

Of course, if it fell into the wrong hands it could assist with identity theft too, so be careful where/how you store it if you use it.

Unfortunately it's in quite an old MS Word format so might not be well-formatted on many PCs, but will still give you a checklist of the kind of information you need to record. Hard copies available via the above website.

Must be the season for worrying about future health. Anyone for a hike?

CMMCB

Lifebook.doc

Its a great idea; but it reads more like an application form for a residential care home. The staff will know everything about you, where your bank accounts are; so when your annual care home fees are overdue they know where to look...and what assetts you have.

Wil it be much use for us in Thailand though; and the English language therein isnt exactly basic stuff., but as an aide memoire there are many useful sections.

What I have difficulty with is trying to remember where my list of passwords/usernames are for the many websites, bank accounts, login numbers; most of us will have written on a piece of paper just incase the computer blows up...

Thankyou for posting, I will edit it as I see fit............no need to note my local milkman and newsagent any more

Not really for me but appreciate the file, if worried about security can get a program like Rohos that is password encrypted so no one else can open your protected files.

It's good to plan ahead and this booklet is a good tool, but with some obvious gaps. It serves as a good guideline for someone to get started to write their own "in case of emergency" booklet.

I did shake my head about all the space given to planning one's funeral, but little to no space about what someone trying to help you should do in if you're in the hospital, unable to communicate, yet need continuing medical care. It may not be an end-of-life situation, either, but could be what someone should do to help you if you have dementia or delirium (very common among the elderly in hospital for something else).

A more modern way to handle this is to develop two documents, on your computer. One can have bank account details, like where your ATM card is located, but not the PIN number -- the other version will have the PIN numbers, no clue about where to find the card. That version could be sent to someone overseas, while the first version given to a trusted local friend who would be able to locate your ATM cards. Each person should know how to contact the other, but they shouldn't be two people likely to hatch up a plan when you aren't in need. But, if you are in need, the local person can contact the overseas person and together they can figure out how to access your funds to pay your medical bills.

That is a great point Nancy. Too many people leave it too late to think about these things .....maybe that is why I ask people if they can sit 5-6 hours at Black Canyon to use the time wisely and start planning ahead....I'm almost 40 and has already made plans for the 60s....it's just swing over this quick.

I did shake my head about all the space given to planning one's funeral, but little to no space about what someone trying to help you should do in if you're in the hospital, unable to communicate, yet need continuing medical care. It may not be an end-of-life situation, either, but could be what someone should do to help you if you have dementia or delirium (very common among the elderly in hospital for something else).

Yes, more of a "death book" than a life book in some ways. Thanks for the good ideas.

Its a great idea; but it reads more like an application form for a residential care home. The staff will know everything about you, where your bank accounts are; so when your annual care home fees are overdue they know where to look...and what assetts you have.

Wil it be much use for us in Thailand though; and the English language therein isnt exactly basic stuff., but as an aide memoire there are many useful sections.

What I have difficulty with is trying to remember where my list of passwords/usernames are for the many websites, bank accounts, login numbers; most of us will have written on a piece of paper just incase the computer blows up...

Thankyou for posting, I will edit it as I see fit............no need to note my local milkman and newsagent any more

Many email are "in the clouds" if you like and a computer crash does not matter.

So storing that information is easy and in most cases can be identified by individual folders,passwords,bank info,will etc in your email.

The only requirement "in the event of death" is for an executor to have access to the username and password. And of course easy storage for current situations.