随着客户年龄的增长, an increasing number will experience illness or disease that could affect their financial plans. Depending on their diagnosis, you may need to adjust your approach to accommodate your client’s evolving emotional and physical needs throughout their health transition.
我们的 健康过渡指南 provides essential tools and tips for how you can smoothly ferry clients through the turbulence of chronic or terminal illness. Here are five tips for relating to clients experiencing health challenges.
Maintain open communication and plan ahead
Ideally you would have discussed the potential for serious illness with your client and drawn up contingency plans when they were healthy. It’s wise to have these conversations before a chronic illness or terminal disease surfaces so you can agree on appropriate steps to take. 例如, you might urge them to consider which trusted adult they would like to designate as their point of contact in case of cognitive impairment.
Consider reviewing these plans as part of your client’s annual financial review to ensure their wishes are kept up to date.
Keep an eye out for behavior changes
If you have worked with a client for years, you might notice behavior changes before you are informed of a diagnosis. 例如, if your client who is typically very punctual and organized begins forgetting scheduled meetings or misplacing important documents, these could be signs of Alzheimer's or dementia. The Alzheimer's Association lists ten early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia that you can look out for with clients.
Health-related behavior changes will depend on the diagnosis, with diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — creating physical problems but leaving cognitive abilities intact. And a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia could include symptoms such as depression, 焦虑, increased paranoia and hallucinations.
Keep in mind that clients and their family members might try to hide or minimize symptoms from you and others out of fear or embarrassment or for reasons of privacy, so these signs may not be obvious.
Broach the subject delicately
If you believe a client might be suffering from a chronic or terminal illness, it can be difficult to broach the subject. If your assumptions are incorrect, you risk insulting the client and, 即使你是对的, they might deny it or become defensive.
With trust and open communication, they will hopefully feel comfortable discussing a diagnosis with you. 如果他们不提的话, you could try delicately broaching the topic or speaking with their spouse or family member, assuming the client has granted you written permission to do so.
Understand the specific situation
因为每个人都是独一无二的, two clients with the same diagnosis will likely have diverging experiences. Once a client has disclosed their diagnosis, ask them expound on the prognosis, including the estimated timing and progression of the disease and any physical and cognitive changes they might experience. You may want to conduct some of your own research to gain a better understanding of the illness and how it could affect your client.
Once you have a better idea of the prognosis, ask your client what type of family and community support they expect to have throughout their health transition. All these details will likely affect your working relationship and their financial plans, 所以你知道的越多, 更好的.
Accommodate their emotional and physical needs
Now that you know how the illness could affect your client, you can accommodate their specific needs. 例如, if their mobility will be impaired, make sure your office is wheelchair accessible or consider transitioning to online meetings.
Be sensitive to possible mood changes, 知觉迷失方向, 偏执和抑郁, which can accompany Alzheimer’s and dementia.
最重要的是, make sure your client feels respected and cared for by “seeing the person, 不是疾病.” Continue to show interest in your client and ask them about their life as you did before the diagnosis.
Read more about guiding your clients through a health transition in the 健康过渡指南, an exclusive resource for PFP Section members.