While feeding, bathing, and dressing your loved one may play an important role in performing care giving duties, there are other responsibilities that a caregiver may also need to include. Not only will you take care of their physical and emotional needs, but you may also become their primary caregiver and need to handle their legal needs as well.
When you begin caring for them, you will need to make sure you have all the correct documentation in order to speak on their behalf, including a Power of Attorney and Medical Power of Attorney.
It can be hectic managing more than one household. Anything you can do to make the tasks easier on yourself is good. When you need some form of documentation, you want to know where it is so you can get your hands on it in a hurry. This simple matter of organizing documents is more important than ever when you are a caregiver to a loved one. It brings peace of mind not only to your loved one, but also to you.
You will want to keep important documents stored safely in a large plastic Ziploc bag inside a metal file box, a small safe, or a safety deposit box. Be sure the documents are in a location that is easy to find by you or other family members. Remember: You will be at your worst when the time comes to find and present these documents, so be sure you know where they are. Here is a short list of the documents you will want to locate.
Last Will and Testament. This is the documentation that tells you where your loved one wants their money, property, and goods to go when they pass on. When a person dies without a will, the courts have a specific way of handling things that may not honor their wishes. Encourage your loved one to make a will if they don’t already have one. There are simple to use formats online that you can fill out, sign and have reviewed by an attorney.
Living Will. In a living will, your loved one can stipulate what type of medical care or intervention they want or don’t want to receive. Be careful about beneficiary designations. A trustee of the estate may also be the primary beneficiary and end up with a big tax bill for unsettled debts or charges incurred concerning property and such. Consult an attorney with any questions about taxes and property.
Medical information. In an emergency, you don’t want to be fumbling around for a list of medications or doctor’s numbers. Keep a list of all of this information in a central location for easy reference. List allergies, medications, and the length of time on medications. Keep this information updated.
Insurance information. Find the policies for all insurance including medical, home, vehicle, and life. Become familiar with policies so you know how much they are worth and what stipulations there are on payouts. Many people miss out on having insurance pay for certain services for their loved one because they don’t know where the information is. Many insurance companies now offer their policy holders an online version of the policy. Print that out and keep it safe.
Power of Attorney. This is important when a loved one becomes incapacitated and needs someone to make decisions on their behalf. Even if a person is not incapacitated fully, you may have taken over bill paying or other simple money tasks. You may have been given your loved one’s checkbook, credit, or debit card to pay bills or do grocery shopping, but if you don’t have power of attorney, it is illegal to sign that check or use the cards. Discuss this situation with your attorney.
Protecting your loved one is all a part of taking care of them. Knowing where their pertinent information is can help you to do that. You also want to make sure you are legally protected as well. Again, the moment to find these important documents is not when you need them, it’s when you don’t.
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