Often we hear from clients when they receive good news such as inheriting money, getting a large bonus or earning a major job promotion. However, we also want to hear from clients when the news is not so good, such as when they suffer a job loss or a spouse has a health problem.
As difficult as it may be to think about bad news, not doing so—and not talking about it—can have unintended consequences. Studies conducted by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute revealed that not discussing your end-of-life wishes with your doctor was likely to lead to a more expensive death, a more painful death, and a more traumatic experience for your loved ones. The only thing that silence did not lead to was a longer life.
According to Dr. Anthony Back, an oncologist at the University of Washington who trains doctors in end-of-life conversations, it is wrong to assume that these conversations rob patients of hope. "People can live with hope and do practical planning at the same time," he said. "As a family member, you can still be protective of the patient while also thinking ahead: 'Of course we're going to keep hoping, and let's do this little planning, too.'"
At BWFA, we agree with Dr. Back. Although these discussions can be difficult, for you and for us, they are necessary and usually bring our clients comfort and peace of mind. When we meet to review your estate plan, we will discuss whether your estate plan is aligned with your current wishes. We will focus on elements of your plan such as these:
To further aid this process, our staff has confidential internal meetings twice a year in June and January, to identify all of our clients who have told us about significant health issues. The purpose of these meetings is to make sure that BWFA is doing everything that we can to help our clients and their families prepare for difficult times.
We want to be your advocate because we see this as part of our job. But remember...YOU are your best advocate. At BWFA, we want to hear about the good stuff (marriage, births, adoptions, job promotions, inheritances and your LIFE!) and we want to hear the bad stuff too. We can give you the best guidance when we know all the facts. If you don't let us know about your life, we can't give you advice or guidance on the actions you may want to take. If you have something you would like to talk to us about, please contact your advisor; otherwise, we will contact you during your annual review cycle.
