When your loved one becomes ill life becomes incredibly stressful. Not only do you worry about getting them the care they need, but you also need to gather documents as fast as possible.
Instead of panicking in the moment about needing these documents, consider having them ready before illness strikes to lessen your stress.
Health care documents
Whether your ill loved one is a senior or not you need to have knowledge of their general wishes regarding life support, organ donation, and other medical-related issues. Having their advanced directive document on hand is important. You will also need the following documents:
- living will
- power of attorney
- personal medical history
- emergency information sheet
- insurance card
- long-term care insurance policy.
Financial documents
Financial information such as tax returns or documentation of loans and debts may be what your ill loved one needs to get benefits, such as Medicaid or other resources. Important financial paperwork for your ill loved one involves the following:
- bank accounts
- savings bonds
- property deeds
- vehicle titles
- pension documents
- annuity contracts
- 401 (k) information
- financial power of attorney information.
Estate planning and end-of-life documents
Ensuring the end-of-life and estate planning documents are accessible may lessen the legal and financial chaos of having an ill loved one. This includes a will, life insurance policies, trust information, a letter detailing their memorial or item wishes, and an actions letter that describes whatever the will does not cover.
You should store these important documents in a safe place. Usually, people leave them in a safe deposit box, a safe, or at an attorney’s office. An attorney is a great individual to involve in this process since care for an ill loved one often involves legal matters and many of the necessary documents are legally important.
