Are you taking over the responsibilities of caring for your parents, a loved one or a senior friend?  Understanding and organizing another person’s personal, financial, and legal affairs can be overwhelming if you don’t have a set of guidelines to work from.

What should be on the list?

Attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, Trust Officer,  Insurance Agent, Religious advisor, Doctor, a neighbour who runs errands, social services in use such as home-bound meals.

Find out where important documents are kept and write everything down on a log. Estate documents, living will, birth certificates, marriage licenses, social security card, insurance cards.

Financial information should be stored in a secure place. Make a list including address, account owner, account number, beneficiary and value. Chequing, Savings, and Investment accounts, Stocks, Mutual Funds, Investments, Trusts, IRAs, Retirement Plans, Pensions, etc.

Compile basic medical information. Physicians, Specialists, Medical Conditions, Current medications or treatments, allergies, past surgeries. Keep a copy of medical information in the person’s home in an easy to access place in case of an emergency and a second copy with the Health Care Attorney-In-Fact.

Having information at your fingertips will help ease the transition and make the process less overwhelming for all concerned.

Make sure this list is accessible at all times to anyone who is taking care of the seniors you care for.