Be Prepared for Unexpected Emergencies
If you were to be hospitalized after an accident, do you have a plan in place to take care of your physical and financial health? Could you tell someone in two sentences where to find everything they would need to temporarily manage your affairs? If your answer to these questions is no, you have a lot of company. Most people have not taken the time to prepare and consolidate vital information for proper maintenance of their life should something unforeseen completely change the scope of their daily existence.
Following is a list of information that everyone, not just your parents, should have in a safe and easily accessible place for your go-to person. Speaking of whom, it may be prudent to choose a trustworthy person who lives outside the home in addition to your spouse, simply because if the accident is a car accident, your spouse could very well be with you and in the same incapacitated boat. Create a packet of information with Originals and/or Copies. This packet can be a physical folder or a digital file. If you go digital, make sure the files are updated regularly.
Who can you call?
Your go-to person will most likely be able to contact your closest friends and family, but it may be helpful to have a list of these people with contact information. Also, and this is especially important for long term care, a list of professionals will save valuable time. Create a list of the following professionals including name, practice location, phone number and specialty (where applicable). Employer’s HR Representative and Immediate Supervisor. Doctors: list every doctor by specialty whether you think it is pertinent or not because it may be helpful in a medical emergency. Accountant, Attorney, Financial Advisor, Insurance Brokers.
What will they need?
Important Personal Documents. Keep them all in one location, or provide detailed instructions about the location of each. The following list is by no means exhaustive but a very good start.
- Social Security Card
- Birth Certificate
- Driver’s License (copy)
- Passport
- Marriage Certificate
- Divorce Certificate
- Military Discharge Papers
- Deeds
- Titles
- Tax Returns for at least 6 years
- Life Insurance Policies
- Medical Insurance Card (copy)
- Medical Information (Allergies, Medications, Treatments, Operations, Immunizations)
Assets. Spell it out. Where applicable include contact information, account numbers and any pertinent information.
- Car Ownership
- Mortgage/Rental Documents
- Real Estate Holdings
- Original Invoices for Important Possessions
- Partnership Documents
- Jewelry and Valuables
- Location of Safe Deposit Box Key or Safe combination/directions
- Insurance Policies
- Home
- Auto
- Health
- Long Term Care
- Life
- Bank Accounts (checking, savings, credit)
- Investment/Brokerage Accounts
- Stocks
- Bonds
- CDs
INCOME
- Annuities
- Social Security
- Pension
- Annual Distributions
- VA Benefits
- Disability Payments
- Rental Income
- Alimony
- Child Support
Monthly and Annual Outgoing Payments
- Mortgage
- Loans
- Utilities
- Electric
- Gas
- Water/Sewer
- Trash
- Telephone/Internet
- Cable
- Insurance premiums
- Car
- Deliveries (newspaper, pest control, HVAC maintenance, food delivery, “of-the-month” subscriptions, etc.)
Digital Information:
- Computer Password
- Phone Password
- Email Accounts and Passwords
- Social Media User Names and Passwords
- Dropbox/Cloud Storage
- Monthly/Annual Subscriptions
- Netflix
- Spotify
- Windows Office Update
- Anti-Virus Update
- Hard Drive Backup
Estate Planning Documents:
- Last Will and Testament
- Personal Property Memorandum
- Power of Attorney
- Advanced Medical Directive
- Healthcare Proxy
- Do Not Resuscitate Order
- Disposition of Remains
- Retirement Plans
- Disability Plans
- Government Benefits
Final Arrangements:
- Cemetery Plot Ownership
- Funeral Planning Documents
- Declaration of Wishes
