I was talking to someone the other day about what happens to people who don’t have family or friends to support them through their aging journey or when the going gets rough. What happens when you don’t have someone to list as your healthcare proxy or durable Power of Attorney? What happens if there’s no “in case of emergency” contact to share? What happens when you’re doing life solo and want to plan for life’s second half contingencies but cannot afford to hire a bank or lawyer or professional person to act on your behalf. What do you do then?

These are big, hard questions. My pat answer to date has been, “well, then it’s time to start saving.” But that’s limited and callous thinking, shame on me. Working with a lawyer or a paid power of attorney or bank representative costs money — often times, big money. Reputable attorneys can charge between $150 to $1,000 an hour for that kind of work. A bank? Their fees are often based on a percentage of your assets and they can still charge $150/hour plus plus to handle many of the pop-up tasks that come hand-in-hand with POA or trustee obligations. So yeah, pretty limited thinking on my part. Duh: Not everyone has the resources to sponsor such a relationship, regardless of how much they’ve saved or planned for it.

So, the question remains: what’s a determined, but under-supported grand-planner to do?

The more thoughtful and realistic answer is to make friends and find allies who are willing to help you in your time of need. You might even consider getting close to someone for this express purpose! Grand planning requires us to get comfortable with the uncomfie, and for some of us that means stepping out and buddying up to new folks. Effective grand planning requires dedicated community. So, the most logical first step is to build one for yourself.

After that, it’s all about ongoing communication and getting real about the what ifs of life’s second half. And it will also require an eventual trip to the elder law or estate planning attorney, who will make your wishes official. You can even stipulate you will pay this newfound person an affordable stipend to get the job done right. Or you can beg them to do it out of the kindness of their heart — or you will haunt them later.

This topic has worried me deeply. So I did what I do with other complicated situations and asked ChatGPT what it would suggest for a person with limited community support and financial wherewithal to design effective advance planning. Here’s what ChatGPT offers if you’re “alone and broke” (so rude!):

“You’re absolutely right — if you’re a single, low-income older adult with no close family or support network, it can feel like you’re facing aging alone without clear or affordable options. But there are some paths forward, even without a lot of money. Here’s a breakdown of what’s possible and how to approach it:

Can You Appoint a Guardian, POA, or Health Care Proxy Ahead of Time?

Yes — in theory — you can plan ahead and name someone as your:

Health Care Proxy / Surrogate
Power of Attorney (POA) for Finances
Personal Representative / Executor
Or even nominate a Guardian of Last Resort if you’re ever deemed incapacitated.

But here’s the catch:

You need a willing and trustworthy person to accept that role — and they don’t always come cheap or easy to find if you’re alone and have limited resources.

What Are the Options If You Don’t Have Money or Family?

Here are your best, realistic options:

1. Public Guardianship Programs (For the truly alone and indigent)

Many states offer public guardianship programs for adults with no family and no funds.
These are usually administered through Adult Protective Services (APS), Area Agencies on Aging, or state courts.
Downsides: These services are often reactive (triggered by crisis or incapacity) and not something you can easily sign up for preemptively.
In Florida, this may be through the Office of Public & Professional Guardians (OPPG).

2. Advance Directive Clinics or Legal Aid for Low-Income Seniors

Many legal aid organizations, senior centers, and Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) offer free or sliding-scale help drafting:
Living wills
Health care surrogates
Durable power of attorney

These forms allow you to name someone, but if you don’t have anyone, they may still help you designate an appropriate fallback (like a public guardian).
In Jacksonville: Try contacting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) or ElderSource.

3. Volunteer Guardianship Programs / Care Networks

Some areas have programs where trained volunteers or nonprofits act as health care surrogates or limited guardians. These programs are rare, but growing.
Ask your local AAA or senior services agency if any programs like this exist.

4. Physician or Clergy-Based Surrogates

In absence of a named person, some state laws (including Florida) allow:
Physicians, ethics committees, or even clergy to make decisions.
But this is typically only activated after incapacity.

This may not reflect your personal wishes, but it prevents total abandonment.

What You Can’t Really Do:

You can’t “hire” a professional guardian or care manager without funds.
You can’t make a court pre-appoint a guardian “just in case” unless there’s a medical/legal trigger.
POAs and health care proxies need to agree and accept the role; it’s not something you can just assign anonymously.

Best Practices for Planning if You’re Alone and Broke:

Fill out your advance directives anyway. Even if you don’t have a named person, completing them is better than nothing. Include specific instructions. Detail your preferences about life-sustaining care, organ donation, housing choices, etc. Store your forms in multiple places. With your primary care provider, hospital, any social worker you know, and in the Florida registry (if available). Engage with community health workers, aging nonprofits, or churches. You may find someone willing to build a relationship over time. Use statutory default surrogate laws in your state as a fallback.

Florida-Specific Help

In Jacksonville, start with:

ElderSource HelpLine: 1-888-242-4464
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA): https://jaxlegal.org/
Community Hospice & Palliative Care often has planning clinics”

This is all very helpful and definitely gave me some fodder for better answers to future questions about advance planning when you’re solo and not exactly rolling in it. In my mind, I figured people could tee themselves up with a guardian and the state pays for it, but that’s not a likely or smart plan it seems. All the more reason to be super honest about our vision and our resources as we make grand plans for the second half. Talk to people about it! Make friends who are willing to help you! Get your plan locked and loaded by way of an attorney or through online advance directive worksheets. And don’t forget to ask ChatGPT a few probing questions. It may not have the right answers, but it certainly offers perspective that may be helpful in the decision-making.