MUST-HAVE DOCUMENTS
Having the right paperwork will make caregiving easier
Durable Power of Attorney
Provides a designated person control of legal and financial matters should the care recipient be unable or unwilling to handle such affairs.
Healthcare Proxy
Allows the designated person access to all medical information relating to the patient's condition and, when necessary, to make medical decisions for the patient based on knowledge of the patient's wishes.
Will
Expresses the care recipient's desires for the distribution of his estate-who gets what, how heirs get what's bequeathed (directly or through a trust, for instance), and who is in charge of making sure all is handled as instructed.
Living Will
States the care recipient's wishes under certain healthcare scenarios, especially end-of-life, eliminating confusion and questions as to the desire for certain treatments.
List of Doctors
Provides immediate access to the healthcare team, and should include each doctor's name, address, phone number, email address, appointment schedule and the reason that doctor is being seen.
List of Medications
Charts what medications are being taken-including prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, herbal treatments, vitamin supplements, etc.-as well as when each is taken, the assigned dosage and the reason the person is taking it.