Life After Loss: Taking Care of Yourself During Transition
55:55
In the final Ethel Newsletter speaker session on navigating life after losing a loved one, editor Shelley Emling converses with Rachel Donnelly, author of "Late to Your Own Funeral" and founder of AfterLight. They discuss the emotional “quiet" that follows completion of paperwork, accounts, and estate logistics, and how this phase can inspire personal planning. Donnelly explains why many avoid end-of-life conversations and redefines planning as an act of care. She outlines five stages: inventory and organize assets, debts, and documents; plan beyond documents for incapacity, roles, and sentimental items; include digital assets and tools like legacy contacts and password managers; collaborate with an estate attorney; and communicate and update plans. She reviews essential documents such as wills, durable financial powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, discusses selecting executors or proxies, digital vaults, affordable resources, and answers audience questions on topics including solo aging, dividing cherished items, special needs planning, journals, social media, and real estate.
In the final Ethel Newsletter speaker session on navigating life after losing a loved one, editor Shelley Emling converses with Rachel Donnelly, author of "Late to Your Own Funeral" and founder of AfterLight. They discuss the emotional “quiet" that follows completion of paperwork, accounts, and estate logistics, and how this phase can inspire personal planning. Donnelly explains why many avoid end-of-life conversations and redefines planning as an act of care. She outlines five stages: inventory and organize assets, debts, and documents; plan beyond documents for incapacity, roles, and sentimental items; include digital assets and tools like legacy contacts and password managers; collaborate with an estate attorney; and communicate and update plans. She reviews essential documents such as wills, durable financial powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, discusses selecting executors or proxies, digital vaults, affordable resources, and answers audience questions on topics including solo aging, dividing cherished items, special needs planning, journals, social media, and real estate.
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