Death and Dying in the Digital Age

Niki Weiss
  • 5.0 (3)
  • How To
  • Weekly

They say we die twice: once when we take our last breath and again when our name is spoken for the final time. But in today's world, there's a third passing to consider - our digital death. Welcome to Death and Dying in the Digital Age, a podcast that explores the uncharted territory of our online afterlife. Join host Niki Weiss each week as she navigates the complexities of end-of-life planning, from safeguarding your individual legacy to ensuring your loved ones can access your important digital assets. Dive into the four pillars of comprehensive death planning - Legal, Financial, Physical, and Digital - and you’ll see that by addressing these crucial aspects, you'll gain peace of mind knowing that every facet of your life and legacy is accounted for. Be sure to check out our resources on digitallegacypodcast.com and subscribe today because, in the 21st century, even your online self needs an exit strategy.

  1. 3d ago

    What's Your Plan B If You Can't Stay Home? | Jennifer Fink

    "I don't want to be a burden, but I'm going to live in my home forever." Jennifer Fink's mom said it for years. Jennifer calls those two wishes mutually exclusive, and most families find that out in a crisis. In this episode, Jennifer Fink, caregiving strategist and host of the Dementia Decoded podcast, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about three generations of dementia in her family, the conversations her parents never had, and why every plan to age at home needs a Plan B and a Plan C. In this episode: · Why "I'll just go to sleep and not wake up" is not a plan · Living longer but dying longer: why your brain span should match your lifespan · The early signs Jennifer missed, then caught, in the family photography studio · Choosing memory care for her mom while her dad was dying on hospice · Co-trustee siblings, family dynamics and the weight of caregiving · Why the caregiver needs a plan too, and why caregivers are getting younger · Advice for solo agers: grow your own multigenerational village · Plan A, B and C: plan your last 10 to 15 years the way you'd plan an international trip · Why these talks work best as many small conversations, updated over time About Jennifer: Jennifer Fink is a caregiving strategist and veteran advocate who spent more than two decades navigating Alzheimer's and dementia, including the overlapping care of her mother and grandmother. She has hosted the Dementia Decoded podcast for eight years and helps caregivers move beyond just surviving with practical strategy, expert guidance and humor. Find Jennifer: search "Dementia Decoded" on any podcast platform, or join the Dementia Decoded Lab on Substack. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-fink/ Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions.

  2. Nov 3

    Estate Planning Mistakes That Can Leave Families in Chaos | Dan McKenzie

    A document that looks complete doesn't necessarily mean your family is protected. A small mistake in a will, an unfunded trust, or an outdated beneficiary designation can create unexpected legal and financial problems for the people you leave behind. In this episode of Death and Dying in the Digital Age, attorney Dan McKenzie, founder and owner of The McKenzie Law Firm in Centennial, Colorado, joins host Niki Weiss to discuss why do-it-yourself estate plans often fail and what families can do to avoid costly mistakes. With more than two decades of legal experience, Dan shares practical insights from estate planning and estate administration, explaining what happens when families discover that important documents, assets, and decisions were never properly organized. In this episode: Why DIY wills and online estate planning documents can create a false sense of security.How mistakes in signing, witnessing, and wording can make legal documents invalid.Why creating a trust isn't enough if assets are never transferred into it.How beneficiary designations can override what's written in a will.Why blended families face unique inheritance challenges.How family belongings and property can become sources of conflict.Why estate planning must include powers of attorney and medical directives.What happens when families are left to settle an estate without proper preparation.Why choosing an executor or trustee comes with significant responsibilities.How property ownership and family living arrangements can complicate estate administration.Why passwords, online accounts, and digital assets should be part of your estate plan.Practical steps you can take today to help protect your family's future.About Dan McKenzie: Dan McKenzie is the founder and owner of The McKenzie Law Firm in Centennial, Colorado. He has practiced law since 2003. After a decade in civil litigation, he opened his own firm in 2013 to focus on estate planning and helping families navigate the legal side of losing someone they love. Connect with Dan McKenzie: Website: https://www.themckenziefirm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenziedan YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/themckenziefirm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmcknze Resources: What to Do When a Loved One Dies – Free Checklist: https://www.themckenziefirm.com/free-guide-what-to-do-when-a-loved-one-dies Upcoming Seminars: https://www.themckenziefirm.com/seminars Dan's Video on DIY Estate Planning: https://youtube.com/shorts/gcQa3kisjnE About ENDevo: Death and Dying in the Digital Age explores estate planning, digital legacy, end-of-life preparation, and practical steps to protect the people and things that matter most. Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page Download the My Final Playbook App: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook

  3. Oct 20

    In a Coma With No Will and No Power of Attorney | Jura Virkutyte

    A collapsed lung, a coma, and a cancer diagnosis, and not one document in place for the family waiting outside the ICU. In this episode, Dr. Jura Virkutyte, environmental health scientist and software QA and product lead on the ENDevo team, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about what incapacity does to a family that never planned, why people refuse to hear the conversation until a diagnosis forces it, and what it finally took for her to build her own plan. In this episode: The symptoms Jura dismissed as stress, and the morning her lungs collapsedWaking from a coma with no will, no power of attorney, and passwords never discussedWhy incapacity, not death, is the planning gap: phones, bills, accounts and medical decisions while you are still aliveThe logistics that hit first: who takes care of the kids, the dog, the rides and an aging parentWhy people block out the conversation, and the catch-22 of trying to plan only after a diagnosis"Oh by the way, you have cancer," and why the diagnosis didn't register when she could finally breatheA grapefruit-sized mass, a one percent chance, and the rolling-wave miracle at the bedsideWhy QA matters when end-of-life planning tools go into enterprise wellness programsWhat a survivor noticed testing the process: small steps, no deadline, nothing that threatensWhy the plan has to include your spouse and family, and her two takeaways: start it and finish it, and stop being afraid to talk about deathAbout Jura: Dr. Jura Virkutyte is a Lithuanian-born environmental health scientist with a PhD from Finland who has held professorships in Finland and Australia and researched the health effects of nanomaterials in the United States. After several years as a technical product owner and QA lead for health and software companies, she joined the ENDevo team to help build My Final Playbook. A 2023 cancer diagnosis turned her research skills on a problem closer to home: what a family actually has to do when someone dies or is suddenly incapacitated. Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions.

  4. Oct 14

    Decluttering a Parent's House Before It's Too Late | Valerie Huard

    Clutter is rarely about laziness. It is usually about trauma, and it becomes a crisis for families when someone dies or has to downsize. In this episode, Valerie Huard, trauma-informed decluttering coach, co-founder of DO Well and author of Put That Stuff Down, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about why we accumulate, why stress has to come down before anyone can let go, and how families can handle a lifetime of belongings before and after a death. In this episode: The day a moving estimator told Valerie, "Ma'am, I cannot move you"Why trauma triggers clutter, and how stress shuts down our ability to plan and decideWhat happens when a sudden death leaves the clutter to the person left behindHow siblings can divide a parent's belongings, and when to sell, donate or let goHow to talk with aging parents about their stuff without making them feel lost in their own homeDownsizing a parent: set up the new place first, then deal with the restThe DO Well Method: stress, mindset, time and habits, then the physical clutterMaking a memory book so you keep the story while letting the object goDigital clutter: passwords, photos, inboxes, subscriptions and appsThree signs clutter is becoming a problem for you or someone you loveAbout Valerie: Valerie Huard is a trauma-informed decluttering coach and co-founder of DO Well. With a background in occupational therapy and trauma recovery, she developed the DO Well Method to help people clear emotional, mental and physical clutter. She is the author of Put That Stuff Down. Learn more about Valerie: https://dowellht.com Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions.

  5. Oct 6

    What Does a Peaceful Exit Mean to You | Sarah Cavanaugh

    When the doctors said there was nothing more they could do, Sarah Cavanaugh didn't know to ask her mother what she wanted next. That moment became the start of her life's work. In this episode, Sarah, author and creator of Peaceful Exit, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about the conversations families never have, why avoiding them pulls families apart, and how to start them before it's too late. In this episode: The three parts of peace at the end of life: relationships, possessions and the bodyThe praise list, the patch list and the pardon list, and why the pardon list is the hardestHow to plan for a peaceful exit even when a death is suddenGrief bots, AI personas and why grief isn't a problem for technology to solveWhy everyone over 18 needs a will and a medical power of attorneyThe "pexit pod": gathering your people once a year to share your wishesNot one 200-minute conversation, but 200 one-minute conversationsSarah's favorite question: what does a peaceful exit mean to you?About Sarah: Sarah Cavanaugh is an author and grief, death and dying podcaster behind Peaceful Exit. Drawing on eight years of research and her own family losses, she helps people talk openly about mortality, make their wishes known and make room for grief. Her book is Peaceful Exit: A Guide to Reimagining Your Final Chapter. Book updates and the Peaceful Exit podcast: https://peacefulexit.net/book Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions

  6. Sep 29

    Grief Does Not Specify Species | Koryn Greenspan

    A dog dies and the person is told it was just a dog. The grief does not work that way, and neither does the law. In this episode, Koryn Greenspan, founder of The Parted Paw and a Certified Pet Loss and Grief Specialist, ACC-ICF coach, and Certified End-of-Life Pet Doula, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about why pet loss is treated as lesser grief, the decisions worth making before the last day arrives, and what it costs people at work when their grief is not recognized as grief. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why the loss of a pet can hit harder than the loss of a person, and why that takes nothing away from either - The decisions worth making in advance: in home euthanasia, location, timing, and what happens to the remains - How to find out whether your employer's bereavement policy covers a pet, and what to do if it does not - Why pets being classified as property still shapes how workplaces respond to pet loss - What compassion fatigue does to veterinary teams, and what support is available to them Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook #deathanddyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: This channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.

  7. Sep 24

    Your Life Is a House of Cards | Niki Weiss

    Your life is a house of cards. Legal, financial, physical and digital pieces all stacked on top of each other. When death, a terminal diagnosis or incapacity hits, one pulled card can bring the whole thing down on the people you love.   In this short episode, Niki Weiss explains why death is still a taboo topic, why that makes it one of the most administratively complicated events a family will ever face, and how to plan for it like a project instead of a crisis.   In this episode: - The four pillars of legacy readiness: legal, financial, physical and digital - The sandwich generation: caring for your kids and your parents at the same time - The phone test: if you died tomorrow and your phone died with you, could anyone get past multifactor authentication to shut down your digital life? - Why the worst time to plan a funeral is after someone has already died - Terminal diagnosis options: hospice, palliative care and medical aid in dying under Death with Dignity laws, and why your choices depend on your state - How to take the emotion out of planning so your true wishes are documented and understood   Resources: ENDevo: https://www.endevo.life Podcast website: https://digitallegacypodcast.com

  8. Sep 22

    The Most Expensive Words in Estate Planning | Jorge C. Jorge

    "Let me think about it" may be the most expensive sentence in estate planning. Planning in a crisis costs multiples of planning ahead. In this episode, Jorge C. Jorge, a Miami based financial professional who works in retirement and estate planning, joins host Niki Weiss to talk about the treasure hunt families face when a plan was never shared, why professional knowledge does not guarantee personal preparedness, and how to bring the people who will inherit your plan into the room before they need it. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why a life insurance payout can create an estate that needs its own planning - What happens when the primary beneficiary dies first and the contingents are   minors - Why a business buy sell agreement needs funding behind it to work - Why power of attorney alone may not be enough when incapacity arrives - How to bring family into the planning conversation so knowledge transfers   before it is needed Live fully, die ready. Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy Download the My Final Playbook app: Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-final-playbook/id6791298756 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook #deathanddyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: This channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

They say we die twice: once when we take our last breath and again when our name is spoken for the final time. But in today's world, there's a third passing to consider - our digital death. Welcome to Death and Dying in the Digital Age, a podcast that explores the uncharted territory of our online afterlife. Join host Niki Weiss each week as she navigates the complexities of end-of-life planning, from safeguarding your individual legacy to ensuring your loved ones can access your important digital assets. Dive into the four pillars of comprehensive death planning - Legal, Financial, Physical, and Digital - and you’ll see that by addressing these crucial aspects, you'll gain peace of mind knowing that every facet of your life and legacy is accounted for. Be sure to check out our resources on digitallegacypodcast.com and subscribe today because, in the 21st century, even your online self needs an exit strategy.

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