A Family Caregiver must know Locations of Important Documents

A Family Caregiver must know the Location of Important Documents

It can be a really hard task when it comes to being a family caregiver for the elder person in your family, especially if you are the only person taking care of your loved one. You will not only have to be a good caregiver but also a good home advocate and maintain their important documents safely. You will need to have all documents pertaining to matters in your loved one’s behalf.

The role of a caregiver can be a headache at times. However, if everything is well organized your work can be easier than you think.

You should know where all important documents are placed. They should be in a safe place so that you can reach them quickly when required without creating a mess. This is important.

If you follow this advice you will find things easier when there are occasions requiring such documents. You will be able to find those documents quickly without frustration and your loved one will be happy about it.

A Few Statistics about US caregivers:

More than 50 million people provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.
1.4 million children ages 8 to 18 provide care for an adult relative; 72% are caring for a parent or grandparent. Fortunately, most are not the sole caregiver.
30% of family caregivers caring for seniors are themselves aged 65 or over; another 15% are between the ages of 45 to 54.

The important documents should be kept safely in a place where you or other family members can reach them easily without any searching. These documents can be kept in a Ziploc bag placed in a good metal box or any box that can hold these documents safely. This makes it easier for you to reach the documents when required without great effort or stress.

Check out these items below where certain important documents should be placed safely to hold and reach them quickly.

The Last Will

This is an important document that provides information about which property goes to whom. If this document is prepared before your loved one passes it should satisfy all family members regarding the money and goods that they will get.

However, this is not the case if the person dies without preparing a will. The court will handle the situation in a different way that probably will not satisfy the needs of the family members. It would far better if your loved one is encouraged to prepare a will in case anything worse happens to them.

You can get this done even online by following simple steps they require then get it reviewed by an attorney.

Living Will

When the will is prepared before the person dies it can be done according to the wishs of the family members. However, a beneficiary should be careful on such situation. If you are a trustee of a large property you will become the beneficiary and may incur a huge tax obligation for the property or any debts that are not settled. You can ask an attorney questions related to such a situation.

Information about medical treatment

It would be a good idea to keep a list of doctor’s contact details, medications, allergies, duration of treatment and so on. Keep this list of important medical information in a place where it is easy to locate by other family members. However, make sure that this information is updated. This will help in reducing your work and save you time.

Insurance documents

You should understand the policies about medical, life, vehicle, home and any other insurance policies owned by your family member. You should pay off all the policies of these insurances if they are pending. This will be beneficial for you and all family members and also help to reduce stress and tension. You may be able to pay some policies online. Make sure you keep copies of this insurance information in a safe place.

Get the Power of Attorney

You should have the power of attorney especially if your loved one is incapacitated so you can do things in their behalf. Even if they are not completely incapacitated there can be times when you will have to sign their check and make important payments. If you do not have the power of attorney this act can be illegal. You can consult an attorney if you don’t have much knowledge about this.

Being a family caregiver and taking care of your loved one also involves taking care of important documents too. You should be very well informed and understand where these important documents are located and maintain their safety.