Can You Really Afford to Die? - with Hospice and Oncology Nurse Suzanne O’Brien

Afford Anything

Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network

Entrepreneurship, Business, Investing

4.6 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 9 May 2025

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

#606: Hospice nurse and end-of-life educator Suzanne O’Brien joins us to discuss the financial realities of dying in America — and they might surprise you. Remember Aretha Franklin? Her handwritten will was found in her couch cushions after she passed away. Despite her substantial wealth, this simple document was legally upheld. It's a powerful reminder that having any form of will is better than none at all. But there's more to worry about than just having a will or trust. The costs of aging and dying can add up fast. Long-term care costs can quickly deplete even substantial savings. Suzanne shares a story about a couple with over $5 million who were shocked to learn how quickly 24/7 care for dementia would consume their nest egg. Traditional funerals average between $7,000-$11,000, but there are much more affordable alternatives: Home wakes and natural burials can cost just a few hundred dollars Water cremation offers an environmentally friendly option Whole body donation to medical institutions costs nothing while contributing to education Planning ahead gives you control over these decisions and spares your loved ones additional stress. Multi-generational living arrangements can also reduce caregiving costs and address concerns like isolation and safety for aging family members. Suzanne also shares stories about the emotional side of dying. Did you know some people seem to choose when they go? She tells us about a 99-year-old woman in a coma who somehow held on for days until she turned 100, then passed away that very night. Resources Mentioned: Anatomical Board of the State of Florida » College of Medicine » University of Florida US Programs » Anatomical Board of the State of Florida » College of Medicine » University of Florida NATIONAL HOME FUNERAL ALLIANCE - Home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	can you afford to die? It's a jarring question, but it's one that everyone needs to start asking
0:06.4	themselves because end of life and dying is very expensive. And so planning for the end of life,
0:12.3	it's not just about emotional preparation, but there are also huge financial implications that
0:17.8	many of us overlook until it's too late. And when we're in those
0:21.3	moments of high stress, well, that's the worst possible time to start thinking of it.
0:26.8	Today, we're talking to an end-of-life care specialist, Suzanne O'Brien. She is a hospice
0:32.8	nurse and an oncology nurse who now runs an institute teaching people about end of life matters.
0:40.9	She's also the author of a book called A Good Death. We talk today about how to financially prepare
0:46.8	for the end of life. We discuss everything from the huge costs of long-term care to more
0:54.0	cost-effective or budget-friendly alternatives to
0:56.5	traditional funerals.
0:58.0	So whether you are thinking about your own arrangements or whether you are helping
1:01.4	aging family members, there are financial takeaways that can help you make more informed
1:07.6	choices that could save you thousands of dollars and could reduce a huge amount
1:13.1	of stress during one of the most difficult times. Welcome to the Afford Anything podcast, the show
1:18.8	that understands you can afford anything but not everything. This show covers five pillars,
1:22.9	financial psychology, increasing your income, investing, real estate and entrepreneurship.
1:27.2	It's double
1:27.6	eye fire. Today's episode, we talk about how to live a better life today is about that first
1:35.5	letter, the letter F, although really it's got two meanings today. It's financial basics because
1:40.5	end of life planning is a basic form of financial planning.
1:45.0	And it's also the letter F for financial psychology, because we talk about what we can learn from hospice patients in order to lead better lives today.
	...

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