Guide
Living Alone? Who Handles Your Affairs If Something Happens
If you live alone, no one else in the house will notice a missed call, know your medications or have the key to your files. About 24 million Americans age 50 and older live alone, according to AARP. Planning for that is a practical project, not a gloomy one, and it starts with answering one question: who would know, and who could act?
Five questions to answer on paper
- Who would notice if I did not answer my phone? Pick a neighbor or friend and agree on a regular check-in.
- Who could speak for me if I could not speak for myself? That is the person you would name as healthcare agent in a healthcare directive.
- Who could pay my bills and manage accounts? That is the role of an agent under a financial power of attorney.
- Who would carry out my will? Your executor, with a backup in case that person cannot serve.
- Who has the key and the information? A spare key holder who also knows where your binder is kept.
Many people living alone have no one obvious to fill these roles. A trusted friend, a younger relative, a professional fiduciary or an attorney can sometimes help. If you are unsure, an elder law attorney can explain the options in your state.
What to put in your emergency binder
- A one-page summary a paramedic can read: medications, allergies, conditions, doctors and your emergency contacts.
- Where your legal documents are kept and who has copies.
- Pets: who would take them, and their vet and feeding details.
- Accounts, bills and autopay, so nothing lapses while you are in the hospital.
- Your wishes for care, and for a funeral or memorial.
- Where your password manager's recovery information is kept. Never write the passwords themselves.
Make it findable
A binder only helps if the right person can find it. Tell your emergency contact where it is, put a note on the refrigerator or by the door that says where your medical information is kept, and keep a copy of your healthcare directive in your wallet or with your doctor.
Build yours in an evening
The free Emergency Binder Lite covers the five pages a person would need first. The Paper Trail has all 22 sections, including key people and roles, pets and an encrypted copy for one trusted person.
Frequently asked questions
What is a solo ager?
A term for an older adult who lives alone and may not have a spouse, children or nearby relatives to help. About 24 million Americans age 50 and older live alone, according to AARP.
Who can I name as my healthcare agent if I have no family nearby?
Many people choose a trusted friend, a younger relative or a professional fiduciary. An elder law attorney can explain the options in your state.
How do I make sure someone notices if something happens?
Agree on a regular check-in with a neighbor or friend, and tell that person where your emergency binder and spare key are kept.
What should a paramedic be able to find?
A one-page summary of your medications, allergies, conditions, doctors and emergency contacts, kept somewhere visible such as the refrigerator.
Is a binder enough?
No. A binder records where things are. You also need the legal documents, such as a healthcare directive, financial power of attorney and a will, and an attorney can tell you what suits your situation.
AuraByRobbie sells The Paper Trail on Etsy. This guide is general information, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.