If Something Happened to one of your parents tomorrow… Would you know where their critical information is?
Don’t Wait for an emergency: Prepare Now!
When an emergency or unexpected hospital stay hits, the last thing you want is to be scrambling for medical info, legal papers, or phone numbers. These tools help you get ahead of that moment. From a ready-to-grab document folder to a simple care plan template and essential planning checklists, you’ll have what you need before you need it.
There are several options to gather and preserve this information. One is to create a shared document folder using a cloud storage product like Microsoft Drive or Google Drive and others. Two is taking photos of or scanning all the documents and putting them in a physical folder or binder for easy access.
Below is a list of critical items and information to include in your folder:
- Parent’s full name, date of birth, and main diagnoses
- Health insurance cards like Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance, Prescription Insurance, etc.
- Current medication list including: over the counter, supplements and prescriptions.
- Primary doctor, specialists, and pharmacy contact info.
- List any existing chronic health conditions and specialists
- Power of Attorney documents
- Health Care Proxy or Medical Power of Attorney
- Living will document
- List of monthly bills and banking contacts
- Emergency contact list (family, neighbors).
- List of trusted neighbors/friends who can help
- Funeral/burial/legacy wishes (if available)
- Scanned ID cards like driver’s license, passport, Social Security card.
- Key family caregivers (names, roles, contact info)
- Weekly care schedule snapshot (who helps when)
- Preferred pharmacy and refill process
- Transportation routine (how do they get to appointments?)
- Notes on preferences (diet, routine, habits)
- Ask what your parent considers “quality of life
- List of “must-ask” questions for their next doctor visit
