In the course of our work the advisers get to hear many experiences shared by clients. There are the amazing travel tales. And there are also the personal stories including the experience of medical dramas and unexpected health scares. We learn a lot from these exchanges and in July one of our advisers, Susanna, underwent a medical emergency of her own. She says the stories she heard provided something of a roadmap.
Recounts Susanna,
“Nothing is more sobering than suffering a major medical event. It usurps everything else no matter how busy you are in life.”
It is also accompanied by a sense of being powerless “My first feeling coming out of life saving surgery was vulnerability. In the hospital I was connected to an array of drips, and I was in considerable pain. What really bothered me was the huge backless hospital gown that was big enough to house the girth some Greek singer: the late Demis Roussos. If anything made me feel out of shape, it was the gown.”
And what can be said that hasn’t already been said about hospital food? “At least there was a choice on some days. One day it was the choice of curried chicken or the alternative, curried beef - neither at all suitable after abdominal surgery.”
It would be easy to think ‘surely, I can use my very expensive Southern Cross.’ But, in fact, the private system refers all complicated or emergency surgery to the public hospitals. These have the depth of resources to handle complications.
Yet the public hospitals are also showing real signs of strain. The level of communication between patient and the medical team feels somewhat haphazard especially in a busy ward where different shifts are at work. Because of this Susanna endorses the advice of clients who recommend having a friend or family member to assist.
“You do need an advocate in hospital – a capable person who has their wits about them and makes sure things are on track.”
In the aftermath of the operation Susanna is slowly healing but has found day to day life challenging. Once simple tasks, such as reaching for something in the top cupboard, have now become difficult. Meanwhile back at our office the Stuart Carlyon team have been able to step up to seamlessly handle client matters. That’s one advantage of having very capable people and robust systems in place.
Many clients who have been to hospital with a life-threatening condition comment on an overwhelming desire to overhaul their lives once they have returned home. Susanna has felt this keenly.
“Simplifying life is a common reaction that I see in my own clients after medical events.And that includes the desire to declutter one’s financial arrangements.”
The fact is, one comes face to face with mortality and those ‘way out there’ considerations are brought home to the here and now. The stuff we amass during a lifetime suddenly feels unimportant.
A very real life-stage
This reconsideration and contemplation represent nothing less than a life-stage and has been touched on in such books as Döstädning The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. The impulse to simplify is not just out of consideration to one’s next of kin – there’s a profound inner transformation; a sense of finding out what’s important. This stage of life may come via a health emergency, or through the loss of a loved one or friend.
“Overall, the surgery has made me stand back and reassess what’s important. It has also reminded me of the power of friends and family. They came with the chicken soup just when I needed it.”
Here’s a checklist that will help you tidy up your life and free you up to live without worry.
- Review your attorneys, executors of Wills, and trustees of your family trust. Are they still the right people? Says Susanna, “In my case, my attorney’s circumstances have changed so I need to appoint new ones.”
- For Enduring Powers of Attorney there are two roles: one for Property and the best person is someone that you can entrust with managing your finances in case you are not able to. The second one relates to Personal Care and Welfare, focusing on your health and wellbeing.
- Re-examine your health insurance. Is it covering what you think it is covering?
- Decluttering is important. After a health scare, one’s house hold of stuff becomes a burden. “This is a big issue as I discovered through my own parents and in-laws.” Within this, is the question of who will inherit items of particular value whether monetary or sentimental. A list should accompany your Will. It will help to avoid those family arguments.
- Review and simplify your money management. Over the years you may have accumulated several bank accounts that are no longer useful. Do you have small share holdings or stray insurance policies that can be closed off? Do you still need a family trust?
- Take steps to make life easier after a health calamity affecting any loved one. Does the home need modification in the case of physical incapacity? What are the avenues of support? Fortunately for Susanna, her GP has been of immeasurable support.
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