does your family have a plan?
 

this probably won't be the most popular of threads since we all think nothing will ever happen to us (human nature), but in the thread where someone was trying to find a missing sibling, someone mentioned that the salvation army helps with that - which made me wonder if the red cross does it since they reunite families during disasters.

i was saying how i told my husband if there is ever a disaster (like hurricane katrina) or just anything - that i would go to the red cross, somehow, and for him to make contact with them as well. i also told my children's daycare director (when they went) to put in their file that the red cross was our point of contact in the event anything crazy happened.

i just wonder - does your family have a plan? if so, what is it?

it never crossed my mind until hurricane katrina, and then i saw a billboard not too long ago (here in TN) that said, "does your family have a plan?" there is a website - ready.gov that gives tips and info. on what to do, how to plan, etc.

god forbid anyone need a plan, but there have been several disasters where i'm sure people wished they had one. just some food for thought.

We don't have a plan like that, but really should. Even though I'm only 22, I have actually considered a living will and a power of attorney in case of a medical emergency and I can't speak for myself. Some people would laugh at me for saying that at my age, but I work in a hospital and have also seen in my family how quickly people can "go down" so to speak.

i wouldn't laugh at you, it's a very serious issue, really. i think you're smart.

when i was 21 i was a single mom and working as a waitress, but i had a 401k account i paid into every two weeks. it was only like 20 bucks every two weeks, but i figured the earlier i started, no matter how small the amount, the interest could make a difference in my retirement (or my child's life in the event i died). i also gave my mom a key to my safety deposit box and had her go to the bank and sign papers giving her permission to access it if anything happened to me. in it was some cash (not much, but enough to help if she had to take my child). i also wrote out a statement saying i wanted my child to go to her should something happen to me and had it notarized - i gave her a copy and put one in the deposit box. it was FREE to do it. the lady at the bank said if i hadn't done that, the money in my account and my safety deposit box would go into an account the state has. nobody would be able to access it without going through extreme legal measures- and being as though i was poor, it wouldn't be worth them doing.

dying isn't something we want to think about either, but it's easier to come up with a plan when you're young and healthy/of sound mind than it is to wait until it's too late or you really aren't in the frame of mind to think clearly.

I agree with LuvMyPuppE, you just never know. My mom's bff, her husband, and 18 year old son all died in a tragic accident last may. They all had insurance, even the 18 year old which helped their remaining daughters to pay for all the expenses, from the emergency services, funeral arrangements, and all their outstanding debt (credit cards, ex).

I don't have a plan for re-uniting with my family like LuvMyPuppE has, but in case anything happens to me, I know who will take care of Kaji. My little brother adores him and has agreed to take him if that should happen.

Good idea. We have a plan in case of fire so that all dogs are accounted for and taken to safety. I also have a will that states if for some reason family cannot take my babies the person who does will get 2500.00 to cover future expenses. My family knows who to contact if need be to place them.

i hadn't even thought about the plan for what would happen to our pups. good point! and good for you for having a plan!

i have a husband and 2 small children so i guess that's what i was thinking when i posted - but you bring up a good point.

i have never talked to my mother/sisters/aunts, etc. about our contact point (the red cross) but i guess i should now that i think of it.

i live in east TN so a hurricane or earthquuake disaster isn't likely, but we do live near power plants which could be a target of a terrorist attack (like 9/11).

i just couldn't imagine beiing away from my children during a disaster like katrina or 9/11 and not knowing if they were safe. it's so scary.

This is a really great thread and the OP is right on the money with what she is saying! Can I just add and support the person who mentioned this above...it is absolutely imparative that we have a living will, advanced medical directive, guardians set up for skin kids and fur kids alike. My dad is the head partner of his own law firm and one of the things he specializes in is estate planning (which is all of the above.) He always tells clients that the worst tends to happen when we are unprepared! It's the wimpy syndrome from popeye..."I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!" This is one of those things in life to do now, to do when there is no crisis and to be prepared in case of an emergency because as we all know stuff happens in life. If you don't want to pay for an attorney to do it just google the topics of the trust and estate (which I listed above) and make a rough one yourself and then go have it notarized. I think one of the most important parts is the advanced medical directive. It specifically states what you would want to if something happen concerning medcal situations. For instance mine says that I am an organ donor and also that if my brain is dead not to put me on life support! We also have a secret word we have given to our kids in case we needed to send someone to get them who they w some things to think about! Thanks luvmypuppe for wrting this thread,

Good idea to have a plan, we don't have one in case one of us is separated from the other.

We have a plan for Fires, Floods and just about every other diaster for our records and the animals but not for us. I am going to get working on that for sure.

Also we have in place people and funds to take our animals, it is in writing in our safety deposit box along with a set amount of money for their care (I am pretty serious about my animals).

No, I don't think we have a plan but that is something to think about! I think everyone needs to think about these things. I have thought about it but haven't actually like planned anything out, like who my dogs would go to, my money..where we would go in case of emergency, etc. All Very important things though