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 is capable of making 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 span financial, health, legal, accounting, and household operations. Some may be accessible, others with an accountant, advisor, or health system. A checklist includes:

Personal Information

1. Professional Contacts: Legal, Investment, Insurance, Accounting

2. Family & Friends Contacts (phone and email)

3. Social Security information and account

4. IRS information and filings

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

6. Digital and Social account usernames and password Health Information

7. Health insurance and accounts

8. Medicare information and account

9. Medical Portal(s) username-password

10. List of Doctors and specialist's contact information

11. Pharmacy information

12. Durable PoA for Health and Living Will

13. Donor information 

14. Household Operations (If living at home)

15. Utility accounts

16. Online Banking & Checking access

17. Maintenance schedules and providers for Estate Purposes

18. Last Will

19. Power(s) of attorney

20. Deeds to property, cars, and cemetery plots

21. Life Insurance policies

22. Safe deposit box access

23. Birth certificate

24. Marriage certificate

25. Divorce decree

26. Citizenship papers

27. Death certificates

28. Military discharge papers

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