Getting paperwork organized

Review your loved ones documents and get a thorough understanding of what they have, and more importantly, what they don't have.  Advanced Directives are extremely important and include a Living Will, Healthcare Surrogate and Durable Power of Attorney among other documents.

Keep original documents in a safe place such as a safe or bank deposit box.  Keep copies of these documents with you to share with hospital staff during emergency room visits or hospital stays, or with physician offices.  Don't expect these hospitals and physician offices to have these documents on file even though you have provided them in the past.

If you have a Power of Attorney (POA), you will need this document any time you deal with your loved one's business including medical, insurance, mortgage and real estate issues, etc.  Remember, the businesses you deal with need you to prove that you have your loved one's permission to speak on their behalf.   That is what the POA grants you.

Shredding Documents

It is important to shred documents that contain your loved ones Personal Identifiable Information (PII).  This information includes their name, address, phone number, email address, social security number, date of birth, bank account info, credit card numbers and any other information that can identify them.  Identity thieves can use two or more pieces of information to impersonate you or your loved one, open accounts in their name and do a host of illegal activity.  Never throw documents that contain PII in the trash without shredding them.

Before you decide to shred a document, make absolutely sure you will no longer need it or that you have an electronic copy available somewhere.  This is important because, if/when your loved one becomes incapacitated or if their cognitive abilities (such as memory, perception, reasoning, etc) become impared, replacing these documents may become more difficult.