ARTICLES / General /
Saying Goodbye to Caregiving /
Other ArticlesBy Jenifer Bradley, Staff Writer
Hopefully, an attorney had been brought into
the picture before the death and all the
pertinent financial and legal information is in
one place. A common misconception is that Social
Security is automatically notified upon a
person’s passing away. Another misconception is
that benefits issued after the death can be
collected by family members until the account is
formally closed.
Social Security will eventually find out a loved
one is gone, but it could take weeks or months
before it’s reflected in their records. The office
will also then know whether the family has been
collecting benefits wrongfully. For this reason, a
caregiver should be proactive and notify the office
immediately, and don’t forget to have copies of the
death certificate as well as proof that the
caregiver can discuss a loved one’s estate.
Experts also note that after the death of a loved
one, it’s important to review the final Medicare
Summary Notice (MSN). This is to ensure that
all medical procedures billed to Medicare were done
prior to the person’s death. Caregivers have
sometimes found that Medicare was billed for a while
after a person’s death and it has gone unnoticed.
Caregiving is a rewarding experience, and when it
ends, it may take a caregiver a while to see all
those rewards. That’s okay, and to be expected.
Grief is a part of life, as is any other emotion.
Amidst the paperwork and days that drag on, a
caregiver can remember that they gave their loved
one a quality of life they deserved, and their loved
one gave a caregiver the purpose they needed.
