Anyone Have This Experience?

When my T's parents died (almost exactly 2 years apart) I initially found out from a message on T's voicemail, saying she was going to be out of town for an unspecified amount of time. That was hard enough, but at least I knew she wasn't in town. Then, both times, the read the obituary in the newspaper.

My T is a solo practitioner (with no receptionist or admin), and when I asked him a while back, he has said his wife will inform people if something happens to him (in hospital, death, etc.), that she knows how to access his client list (which makes me slightly uncomfortable). Of course, my immediate thought was what if it was something that happened to both of them (like a car crash), but that seemed too morbid to ask him about. But I worried that at some point I'd just show up and he would never come out to get me, and I'd have no way of knowing if something happened, so I asked.

are there no other providers in the building with him?

While my T was a solo practitioner she rented an office in a building with other providers of various types. There weren't any secretaries or anything but they took on the roll of I forming clients where here partner was unable to. I suspect if her partner wasnt un such shock over the accident who would figure out how to contact everybody.

As far as his wife having access to that information, Ts partner, also, had access to the information as well as the client records. People were given the choice to see the other Ts to get their files (they would contact her partner) and they would get them to her ot contact her partner directly and he would either mail or meet us in person. I will be meeting soon hopefully as he lives out of state and I have not been able to emotionally.

It wasnt perfect but I suspect there is no ideal for things like this.

There are other providers, including T's (plus an acupuncturist and massage therapist and an integrative psychiatrist) that he leases space to, including my D's T. Though some of them are working from home right now. So it does seem like he could use one of them as someone to provide notifications rather than his wife, that maybe his wife could inform that person, then they could do notifications. It's possible one of them might handle his actual files--I suppose I could ask him. We've certainly talked about plenty of morbid topics lately, so it would fit right in.


It also seems like it would be a lot to put on his wife, as I imagine she'd really be struggling if he was hospitalized or worse.... It's good your T's partner was able to keep you updated (I remember your posts from when it happened).