Memberships in groups and
awards received
Names and phone numbers of
close friends, relatives, doc-
tors, lawyers, and financial
advisors
Medications taken regularly
(be sure to update this regu-
larly)
Location of living will/ad-
vance directive
Health care proxy
Health care power of attorney
Last will & testament
In this digital age, User IDs
and Passwords to important
online accounts
Important Documents
Everyone Should Organize,
Regardless of Age
W
hen your elderly family
member unexpectedly
winds up in the hospi-
tal for a month and there’s no way to
pay her bills or even know what bills
are due, or you suddenly find that you
need several years of bank statements
and records of other assets to apply for
Medicaid, the task will be much easier if
someone has taken the time to find and
organize the following important docu-
ments or duplicate copies.
Purchase a plastic file box with
hanging file folder dividers and use
this as your “command center.” Even if
your elderly family member is perfectly
healthy, this is a good project to work
on together. From a purely practical
standpoint, these papers will be needed
eventually, and getting them in order is
a smart thing to do. (While you’re at it,
think about how your own important pa-
pers are organized. What would happen
if you were in an accident and incapaci-
tated for any length of time? Perhaps it’s
time for you to do a bit of organizing as
well!)
38 WNY Family March 2020
If your parent is willing and able,
just buy them the supplies to get them
started and give them control over get-
ting the job done. Just ask them to let
you know where they keep the box so
that, in case of emergency, you will
know where to find it.
Personal Records
Full legal name
Social Security number
Legal residence address
Driver’s license
Passport
Date and place of birth
Full legal names and addresses
of spouse and children
Location of birth and death
certificates and certificates of
marriage, divorce, citizenship,
and adoption
Employers and dates of em-
ployment
Financial Records
Sources of income and assets
(pension from your employer,
IRAs, 401(k)s, interest, etc.)
Social Security and Medicare/
Medicaid statements/informa-
tion
Insurance information (life,
health, long-term care, home,
car) with policy numbers and
agents’ names and phone num-
bers
Names of your banks and ac-
count numbers (checking, sav-
ings, credit union)
Investment income (stocks,
bonds, property) and stockbro-
kers’ names and phone num-
bers
Copy of most recent income
tax return
Liabilities, including property
tax — what is owed, to whom,
and when payments are due
Mortgages and debts — how
and when they are paid
Deeds for any properties
owned
Car title and registration
Education and military records Credit and debit card names
and account numbers
Names and phone numbers of
religious contacts Location of safe deposit box
and key