ELDERPLANNING101
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  • Essential Personal Information
  • Plan for Incapacity
  • Are you the Caregiver?
  • Future Living Arrangements
  • Assisted Living/Nursing Home Rules
  • Medicare/Medigap/LTC
  • Finances and Government/Medicaid
  • Medicaid Planning
  • Our End of Life Decision
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Get access to critical information about your parents. 

Consider it an essential scavenger hunt.
General
Copy of  Birth Certificate(s)
Social Security Card(s) 
Drivers License#
License Plate#
Passport Copies
Names #’s, Addresses of Close Friends and Relatives/ Neighbors
Military Veteran Papers/
Marriage Divorce/Documents
Clergy and Affiliations
Attorney/ Doctors/ Dentist/ Nurses
Social Security: Where the deposits are made/ Online password.
Medicare/ Copy of the Card
Medigap/ Copy of the Card
Part D/ Copy and the Pharmacy Used
Any other Health or Dental insurance
List of all Medications and purpose
Auto title and insurance
Housekeeper/Gardener/home workers
All utility accounts/ water/ gas/ electric/ internet/ TV cable
Funeral arrangements if already made
Safe or file combination
Insurance agents 
Stock broker
Financial Planner
All Credit Cards (front and back photos)
All Automatic Withdrawals or Deposits
All Bills and Services
Clubs/Condo Association Board/
Anyone that delivers to parents (i.e. newspaper)
Most often frequented stores and restaurants.
Computer passwords / social media accounts/ All email accounts and passwords
Copy personal phone book/ cell phones and provider information
Any current legal documents such as trusts, wills, financial powers of attorney, 
Real Estate: 
Copy of the most recent deed (whether warranty, quit-claim, survivorship, certificate of transfer or affidavit of surviving tenant) and a recent property tax bill.
Investment Documents: 
Recent statements from checking, savings and money market accounts, mutual fund and brokerage accounts, treasury accounts, copies of passbooks and CD's, stock certificates and dividend reinvestment plan account statements, municipal and corporate bonds, government bonds, annuities, and, promissory and cognovit notes
Retirement Programs: 
Recent statements from any IRA, Keogh, SEP, Profit Sharing, 401(k), 403(b), TSA, and ESOP. 
Insurance and Annuity Policies: 
Annual statement and original policy. 
Federal Income Tax Returns: 
Last five years tax returns. For the most recent return (1040 and all schedules). 
Business Interests: 
Corporate record book, including stock certificates of closely held business, partnership agreements and oil and gas leases.
Income: 
Any papers necessary to verify all sources of regular, non-investment income such as retirement and disability pensions, social security, railroad retirement, SERS, STRS, PERS, etc., including any deductions taken before payment. 
Debts: 
Original documents evidencing debts owed separately and jointly, including mortgages, car loans, credit card balances and promissory notes. 
Expenses: 
Medical insurance premiums, prescriptions, rent, vendor payment for facility care, mortgage payments, .
.. 
Gifts: 
Deeds, statements, checkbook registers or other papers evidencing any transfers (other than to a spouse) in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) within the previous sixty months. 
Residential Agreements:
Rental agreements, lease agreements, and admission papers for assisted living and nursing homes. 

There are many new tools to store information securely online "in the cloud" and to make the material available to those that need it:

Helpful Sites: Click
American Bar Association's Health Care App
Everplans



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Copyright © 2020 Richard H. Schwachter J.D. All Rights Reserved
Elder planning is a very broad subject! The information offered here is generic and not state-specific. No legal advice is offered. Our approach is to "open the door" to the issues and encourage your family to get the specific help they need.  

  • Quick Start
  • Make an Assessment
  • Have a Family Meeting
  • Start Your Care Plan
  • Essential Personal Information
  • Plan for Incapacity
  • Are you the Caregiver?
  • Future Living Arrangements
  • Assisted Living/Nursing Home Rules
  • Medicare/Medigap/LTC
  • Finances and Government/Medicaid
  • Medicaid Planning
  • Our End of Life Decision
  • We Can Help
  • Blog
  • Who We Are