A caregiver’s job could include responsibility for financial, health, legal, and/or household affairs.

First: You (and a caregiving team) need to have the decision-making authority and execution tools to manage the recipient’s care and affairs past their death. Durable Powers of Attorney for financial affairs and health care, as well as Living Will and Last Will are essential parts that need to be in place while a person can make decisions.

Next make a family plan: Discuss caregiving matters with all involved. Put roles and responsibilities in writing and have everyone sign. It’s good communication to document roles, and the final arbiter in each. Build financial controls. It’s simple and protects everyone.

Now make sure you are organized and ready to act. The operating information and documents you could need spans financial, health, legal, accounting, and household operations. Some may be accessible, others with an accountant, advisor, or health system. A check list includes:

Personal Information

• Professional Contacts: Legal, Investment, Insurance, Accounting

• Family & Friends Contacts (phone and email)

• Social Security information and account

• IRS information and filings

• List of all financial (asset, liability, and income) accounts

• Digital and Social account usernames and password

Health Information

• Health insurance and accounts

• Medicare information and accounts

• Medical Portal(s) username-password

• List of Doctors and specialists contact information

• Pharmacy information

• Durable PoA for Health and Living Will

• Donor information

Household Operations (If living at home)

• Donor information

• Utility accounts

• Online Banking & Checking access

• Maintenance schedules and providers

For Estate Purposes

• Last Will

• Power(s) of attorney

• Deeds to property, cars, and cemetery plots

• Life Insurance policies

• Safe deposit box access

• Birth certificate

• Marriage certificate

• Divorce decree

• Citizenship papers

• Death certificates

• Military discharge papers

Organize these documents into files that are easy to navigate if they aren’t already.