Our Mortality

Taking a break from newsworthy death related issues, I found this interesting piece on causes of death by state.   If you do not want to read it, I will tell you that the most likely cause of death for Ohioans is heart disease, that we are disproportionately affected by diabetes, and that we have a higher than average rate of deaths from cancer, respiratory and kidney diseases, strokes, and  Alzheimer's.

Several points:

1.   Ohio is a cauldron of death.  It is not for estate tax reasons that people move to Florida.

2.  Bonus points for knowing the meaning of Septicemia (disproportionately represented in Texas and other Southern states).

3.  Casey Kasem is doomed.  His family should not have moved him to Washington which is disproportionately represented by deaths from Alzheimer's disease.

To Tell or Not to Tell?

Quick disclaimers.  I am late to the news that Chuck Klosterman was designated the Ethicist for the NYT in June.  Also, this post is only tangential to estate planning.  However, in the interest of posting every day during Estate Planning Awareness Week, and in showing some love for Klosterman (one of my favorite contemporary writers), I thought I would mention one of his columns.

The question he addressed is whether a family should tell their mom whose greatest fear is suffering from Alzheimer's that she has the disease.  Her doctor has only told her she has mild dementia but has told the family the true diagnosis.  Klosterman answered yes so that she can have final meaningful conversations with family members before the disease advances,  the same as she would if she were dying from cancer.  I concur with Klosterman.  

In a piece of irony, in a recent Grantland column, he wrote that he  certainly would not be comfortable in a world where his worldview dictated reality.  Now, with his current position, he has the opportunity to make his worldview reality (and presumably increase his level of discomfort).