|
Whether it’s for a parent, a spouse, or even ourselves, chances are all of us will face the complicated issues of elder care at some point in the near future. In the first article of this series, we talked about the importance of planning in advance. In this installment, we look at all the paperwork that can turn a minor complication into a major crisis if it’s needed and can’t be found.
written by William Markin, Editor of The Masonic Bulletin
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning (A Very Good Place to Start) I’m going to start making a very big assumption. I’m going to assume that you were born. Of course you were, you’re probably thinking. But can you prove when? And where?
To do that, you need a birth certificate. And if you don’t have one…or it can’t be located when it’s needed…it can be a major problem. A whole host of services and programs can require one, and there may be times when you or a relative will be required to submit copies to multiple places at the same time. And not just plain old photocopies. Oh, no! They want genuine certified copies.
Fortunately, if you were born in Ohio, you can probably get certified copies (with colorful pin-hole seals) at the Vital Records bureau in the basement of the Lucas County Health Department. They aren’t cheap, though. Currently, they’ll set you back $25 each, but it’s not a bad idea to have at least a couple copies on hand.
You may also need official copies of your marriage license or any divorce decrees. For these, you’ll have to make a trip down the street to the County Courthouse. If you were born out-of-state, on the other hand, tracking down these documents can range from a few hours on the computer to days or weeks of correspondence and hunting.
Similarly, if you need a copy of your military discharge papers, they can be ordered on-line in a fairly simple process, but it can take from six to nine weeks to get them. There are services (the VA has a list of authorized ones) that can get you a copy of a DD-214 in a matter of days, but at a cost of a hundred dollars or more.
Your Very Own Paper Trail
The point is, the easiest and least costly time to get these documents together is long before you need them. And your birth certificate is just the beginning. There are a host of important documents that can be critical in case of a major medical event. The Area Office on Aging suggests a whole checklist full.
Pretty overwhelming, isn’t it? But believe me (from experience), if you or a loved one doesn’t know where these documents are, it can be a real headache when you or someone you care about needs special care or assistance or, ultimately, goes to that Great Celestial Lodge in the Sky where we all know we’re headed but are never totally prepared for.
Ideally, all of these documents would be in single safe place, known to your family. A small, fire-resistance safe in a closet can be a great location…as long as someone else knows the combination. Similarly, a safe-deposit box at a bank works well, unless you lose or misplace the key.
One way to handle this is to get a simple notebook or journal, and write down exactly what papers you have and where they can be found. List your bank accounts and credit cards and numbers. And while you’re at it, write down the phone numbers from the back of your credit cards….the ones you’re supposed to call if they’re lost or stolen.
If possible, include copies of things like insurance policies, deeds, and stock certificates, as well as copies of your social security, Medicare and health insurance cards. If you don’t have a copier (and these days, you can get a combination copier-printer-fax for as little as $40), there are plenty of copy services around, including FedEx and UPS stores, Kinko’s and CopyMax (part of OfficeMax).
The Fabulous Five
All of these documents are important, but there are five that deserve special mention because you might not have misplaced them, but might never have had them. And you need them.
1) A Will. When I think of a will, I usually think of the scene in the movies where the family gathers together in a posh attorney’s office to hear the reading of Uncle Charlie’s will, and who will get his millions and who will get stuck with his beloved but incontinent cat.
If you have millions, you probably already have a will, or can afford an attorney or estate planner to help you get one. For most of us, though, our possessions, estates and bequests are fairly simple, so all we need is a simple will. Most attorneys will draw up a simple will for a few hundred dollars, although there are alternatives even to that, including computer programs that ask you questions, then compose them for you and web sites that do the same thing on-line. There are even workbooks that will guide you through the process.
Then, just sign it and date it and presto, you have a valid will. Even if it’s just written on the back of an envelope, in case you have a Lincoln complex and are planning on attending the theatre tonight. Of course, your signature should be witnessed, and it wouldn’t even hurt to take it down to your local bank branch and have it notarized (assuming you wrote it on a large–enough envelope for the notary seal).
Even though a will is a legal document, it doesn’t have to be fancy. But unless you have a document that clearly specifies what you want to leave to whom, a judge may end up deciding that, and your beloved but incontinent cat end up with someone who really doesn’t fully appreciate her.
(Lest you think I’m joking – and alright, maybe I am a little -- if you have a pet, one of the most important things you need to think of in advance is what’s going to happen to that pet if you are no longer able to keep and care for it.)
2) A Living Will. This somewhat misleadingly-named document, also sometimes called an “Advance Directive”, is simply a statement to a doctor about how far you want them to go to keep you alive if you develop a terminal or irreversible condition. I’m not going to try to advise you on what decision to make on this, because it’s really a very personal matter. If it’s for yourself, you may want to talk it over with your family first. In the case of an elderly parent or grandparent, you definitely should discuss it with them in advance, and clearly understand their wishes.
It’s not an easy or very comfortable subject to broach with someone. “Oh, by the way, Grandpa, just the other day I was thinking about what happens if you’re laying in the hospital dying of an incurable disease…”, but it really should be discussed. If nothing else, use this article to start the conversation. Let them blame me. I can take it.
Again, standard forms are readily available for this purpose. Check on-line or call the Area Office on Aging and ask them for a copy.
3) Health Care Power of Attorney. Another misleadingly-named document, sometimes called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, this simply gives someone else the power to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself, and really is a good idea. In fact, it’s best to name an alternate as well, in case the first-named person is unavailable, and discuss your wishes with both. And it goes without saying it’s probably best to name people who like you. At least a little.
4) Power of Attorney. This gives another person – not necessarily an attorney, but anyone -- the legal ability to make financial transactions for you if you are ill or unavailable. Depending on how it’s written, it can be a very sweeping document that grants broad powers to another person to do as they wish with your assets (although there are legal ramifications for misusing this power), so be careful who you pick for this one. Still, someone should have the ability to take care of your financial affairs if you can’t.
5) Consent for Release of Information. This is a fairly new addition to this list, so it may be – but shouldn’t be -- overlooked. You know those privacy statements you’re always being asked to sign every time you visit the doctor or hospital (unless you’re just visiting a friend, and even that wouldn’t surprise me)?
That’s because of something called HIPAA, which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It makes it illegal for doctors and hospitals to divulge any information about any patient to anyone without the patient’s permission. So in that classic movie scene where the doctor comes out of surgery into the waiting room, and a teary-eyed relative, “Doctor, are they okay?” his legally and politically correct answer would be, “Can I see your HIPAA Authorization for the Release of Confidential Medical Information, please?”
Again, it’s a simple thing, but one that is important for your loved ones to have, and for you to have in case it’s them in the hospital.
Make The Computer Your BFF
Before you non-techno-geeks let your imaginations run wild, BFF stands for Best Friend Forever, and if you’re comfortable with a computer and have internet access, it can be an enormous help in gathering the paperwork I’ve talked about. If you’ve never learned to use one, this could be a good time to start. Check at a nearby Senior Center. Chances are, they have whole classes full of people that are just as wary/confused/frightened/apprehensive/antagonistic about these little boxes as you are.
But even if you’ve lived ninety-seven years without touching a computer and don’t intend to now, I still have good news for you. Most true computer nerds just love to show off their abilities to others, and that includes doing a whole lot of on-line research and document retrieval for you. So all you have to do is find someone who has a computer for their BFF, or even OFE (Only Friend Ever), and make them your BFF!
The Long and Short of It
In short, pulling all these documents together, whether it’s for yourself or someone else, can be a long process. That’s why it makes so much sense to do it in advance, when you can take your time and work at your own leisure.
Doing it this way can save you – or someone you care about – a lot of grief and even money. It makes sense to get your docs in a row. Now.
Important Document Checklist (Courtesy of Area Office on Aging)
INSURANCE
• Medicare Card
• Secondary Health
• Life
• Special Care
• Long Term Care
• Catastrophic Illness
• Auto
• Home
• Other
LEGAL
• Auto Title
• Deeds
• Living Will
• Living Trust
• Power of Attorney
• Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Trust Papers
• Will
LIFE EVENTS
• Birth Certificate
• Burial Plot
• Funeral Arrangements
• Immigration/Naturalization Papers
• Marriage/Divorce Papers
• Military Papers
• Social Security Card
FINANCIAL
• Bank Notes
• Bank Savings Accounts
• Bonds
• Broker Name/Phone
• Certificates of Deposit
• Checking Account
• Credit Card List
• IRAs
• Mortgage Papers
• Mutual Funds
• Safety Deposit Keys/Combination
• Stock Certificates
• Tax Records
William Markin, Editor
The Masonic Bulletin, Copywrite 2011
|
0
COMMENTS
ADD