I Work In Death And Taxes

(I handle the billing for a retirement home. To keep the billing database up to date, I rely on the daily census sheet issued by our admissions department. Until recently, the census sheet was updated by a sharp, detail-oriented coworker, but the responsibility recently passed to a coworker who is great with people, but a mess with computers and data. I receive the daily census one morning, and notice that a resident who has passed away the day before isn’t listed.)

Me: “[Coworker], I heard that [Deceased Resident] passed away yesterday, Is that correct?”

Coworker: “Yes. It’s so sad. I’ll really miss him.”

Me: “I don’t see him listed on the census you just sent me, though. Shouldn’t he be listed as a discharge?”

Coworker: “Oh, I just couldn’t stand to put him on there; it makes it seem really permanent.”

Me: “Death has an unfortunate tendency to be permanent, [Coworker].”