After retiring from my corporate career, one of my dreams was to engage more actively in my assignments and see each case through to its conclusion. However, without a travel budget such opportunities were rare, particularly unless a case unfolded within my home state of Florida. Last week, I caught one of those lucky breaks: a road trip was in order!

With 27 years in the healthcare field, I’m keenly aware of the implications of HIPAA Privacy Rules—both their protective benefits and their unfortunate tendency to create barriers for families seeking closure after the loss of a loved one. This time, I was determined that the family would not face such obstacles.

The individual who reached out for assistance was located over 4,000 miles away in Scotland. In 2018, a niece had lost contact with her elderly aunt, becoming increasingly worried when her mail began to return undelivered. When she tried to inquire at the senior living facility where her aunt was thought to reside, she received distressing news: the aunt had been relocated during a hurricane, and no further information could be provided—just a long list of over 150 potential facilities where she might have been sent. Without any children or relatives in the United States, the niece faced the overwhelming task of contacting each facility, only to encounter mostly silence and many responses indicating that HIPAA privacy laws prevented them from sharing any details. Even local police investigations yielded no results. The search stretched on for years, leaving the family feeling helpless and fearing they might never learn what happened to their beloved relative.

After an exhaustive search through newspapers, state and county public records, and even reaching out to neighbors of her last known addresses, I began to feel discouraged. The only information I uncovered was the unfortunate news that she had passed away in 2021. After a good night’s rest and a fresh perspective, I decided to contact local funeral homes—Florida has quite a few of them. One compassionate funeral home director, after not finding anything in his records, suggested I reach out to the health departments. I hadn’t considered this, so I eagerly began contacting the counties where she may have been relocated.

It was during these conversations that I encountered another kind and empathetic individual who confirmed her death and provided the name of the funeral home that handled the arrangements. Interestingly enough, this was the same funeral home that the first director had suggested I contact. With a simple correction to the spelling of her name, I was able to obtain the date of her passing, as well as the cemetery and plot number where she was laid to rest.

From the outset, both the niece and I knew we were approaching what would have been her aunt’s 90th birthday. If I could find her, it would be to visit her final resting place. The niece was incredibly grateful to finally receive those answers. I mentioned that I was only 123 miles (198 kilometers in her measurements) away and offered to visit the grave and lay a birthday bouquet. That visit, along with the photos I took, provided the family with the closure they had long sought, as we finally uncovered the last member of that generation. Rest in Peace Auntie.