moving your loved one into a nursing home

Important Documents & Information To Get Together Before Your Parents Move Into An Assisted Living Community

3 March 2016

Alisa Mantyla

If your parents are getting older, and preparing to move into an assisted living facility, you can help them out by making sure that they have all their important documents ready at hand.

Medical Record

The first thing you need to do is work with your parents to create a comprehensive medical record for each of your parents.

For each parent, create a document that details all their past illnesses, tests, surgeries and hospitalizations. Make sure that all diagnosed medical conditions are written down and explained. 

You also need to create a list of all their current medications, doses, time of day they take the medication, condition the medication is for, and the doctor who prescribed the medication. This list needs to be updated whenever your parents medical records change. 

Finally, make sure that you also write down all important insurance information such as Medicare, Medicaid and Medigap information. 

Keep a copy of these records in your parent's home, in their car, and with you at all times. If anyone helps take care of your parents, make sure that they also have access to this information. Update these records whenever your parent's medical history changes.  

Contact Information

The second thing you need to do is create a contact list for both your parents and yourself with all their important and vital information. Make sure that your contact list includes information for the following individuals:

• Caregivers
• All Doctors & Specialist
• Therapist
• Lawyer
• Financial Advisor
• Accountants
• Banker
• Insurance Agent
• Spiritual Advisor
• Local Law Enforcement

Keep this information handy for your parents and for yourself. 

#3 Valid Will

Finally, make sure that your parents have an updated will. Make sure that their will covers what will happen to their home, personal belongings, vehicles and bank accounts. There will at this point in their lives should include a living will that details how they want to be cared for if they are incapable of making decisions for themselves. It should include whom they want to make those decisions when they no longer can and should give them power of attorney in order to have the authority to make those decisions. Additionally, if they do not want to be resuscitated, their legal documents should include a DNR order. Make sure that both and your parents have a copy of their will and medical legal documents handy in case it is ever needed.

By making all the information above handy and easy to access, you will make life easier on your parents, their caregivers and yourself. You will have all the important information  at hand when you need it. Contact a business, such as Harmony Residential Care, for more information. 

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