‘I want to pat dogs until I die’: End-of-life planning should be more than just Living Wills
‘I want to pat dogs until I die’: End-of-life planning should be more than just Living Wills - Healthy Debate
As I get older this conversation has become increasingly bewildering. We are all guaranteed to die, but we still treat it as an exception, which as a programmer makes no sense to me at all. I've seen the fallout of people dying for much of my life and we still get no better at it. Why is that?
I've been attempting to come up with a way to do something "simple", create a foolproof way to share my credentials with appropriate people in such a way that they can access what they need to after I die. So far an actual solution has eluded me. This is just one example of what I'm talking about.
The article raises questions about what end of life might look like for an individual, I think that's part of the conversation. Ultimately after your death, it's not your concern any longer and anything you can do to alleviate the stress would, at least in my opinion, be a good thing. Having a good time, well, a the best time you can have until then, is absolutely part of the equation.
Anyone?
I've been attempting to come up with a way to do something "simple", create a foolproof way to share my credentials with appropriate people in such a way that they can access what they need to after I die.
I have Bitwarden Premium for this exact reason: https://bitwarden.com/help/emergency-access/
I have previously looked at this as one potential solution, BUT it requires that bitwarden exists when you die and the page that you link to states: "If your premium features are cancelled or lapse due to failed payment method, your trusted emergency contacts will still be able to request and obtain access to your vault." -- what it doesn't do is state for how long, or what happens if they access it before you die, let's say while that you're on holiday away from the internet for a period exceeding the "wait" time, which is an issue in its own right, how do you deal with access where you're no longer available, since you're dead, but the access needs to happen NOW, to pay the electricity bill, or something else.
Additionally, the system requires a level of skill that's not evident in most non-computing users (from the same page): "Trusted emergency contacts must be existing Bitwarden users, or must create a Bitwarden account before they can accept an invitation." -- which means that now they need to get a "computer person" to help, which introduces even more risk.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that attempts at solutions are non-existent, it's that they are clunky at best and in my experience horrendous in general use -- for example, look at what happens when one of the signatories of a joint account dies -- the account is automatically locked -- sometimes for years -- even if that account is what's paying for food and lodging for both parties. All because we haven't made systems that make sense, despite the guaranteed event of our death.
Burn your passwords onto a DVD in plain text, and seal in an envelope. Anyone can get them, but you'll know if they do so, because the envelope will be torn.
No one will waste time breaking into your house just for a set of passwords, its too risky and too targeted, so its relatively safe.
You can also print the passwords directly on paper.
I think a note with the master password or key to your password manager in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box (depending on the need for immediate access prior to probate).
Having many passwords means the list needs to be updated constantly. Having the master means whenever you change that one.
Source: dealt with this for my dad when mom passed. Though hers was a spread sheet with handwritten updates. Most of them even worked, but she was a very fastidious person (are you?).