Let them eat CAKE

A few months ago I was surfing the web and came across CAKE, an end of life planning app.  The unusual name caught my interest and here’s what I found. Suelin Chen and Mark Zhang teamed up and created this app which is a MassChallenge finalist in 2015.  I don’t think it's available to the public yet; however, when it becomes available, it will be a great way to start the conversation for young people. 

While I may be showing my age, having an app to make you think about what you want at the end of life is definitely a younger generation trend.   The article I read mentioned that after you sign up, the app asks a series of 35 yes/no questions.  Some relate to basic information like funeral home choice and some require serious thinking.  One that was mentioned was “yes or no, I want people to have a stiff drink on the anniversary of my death”.  I’m sure there are more serious questions but this is a good one.  Would we want our friends to celebrate our lives each year?  Would we be too embarrased to ask them?  Is drinking the best way to memoralize a friend?  Maybe yes, maybe no.  Would a more appropriate statement be " Yes/no, I want my friends to make a donation to a charitable cause on the anniversary of my death."  Cultural influences certainly apply to what is seemingly a simple question.

You can find the article by Dylan Martin at: bostinno.streetwise.co (http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/10/09/end-of-life-planning-app-cake-helps-make-final-wishes-known/) .

I wish this company well.  The more we talk about it, the easier end of life issues are dealt with.  And kudos to these young people who are using their ingenuity to open doors for those of us who are hesitant to talk about uncomfortable yet inevitable subjects.

Image: Carlos ZGZ