How can I prepare for a loved one having a medical emergency?

Create an easily retrievable binder of important documents, including financial and medical information.

When your loved one has a medical emergency, it’s a godsend to have all the information you need in one place. It may not be your first instinct to find the log-in for your loved one’s health insurance portal, for example, but you may find yourself needing it! Also, make sure you have access to their cell phone and their passcode - you will need it to gain access to important information.

This was the case for Senior Services Expert Lori Williams when her husband, Mark, had a stroke. While they had conversations about their wishes regarding healthcare and treatment, it would have made everything easier to have insurance / Medicare login information, phone passwords, and other details handy. That way you’re not busy searching for everything and stressing about logistics if the unthinkable happens.

Lori was inspired by Lynne Von Villas, whose father passed away while her mother was suffering from dementia. Lynne had plenty of paperwork to deal with while carrying out her father’s will and moving her mother to a memory care facility. Eventually, she realized she’d benefit from making all the information she needed portable and easy to reference.

Having a 3-ring binder containing important information is a great idea for families to have ready. Lynne discusses tips and tricks, plus important documents to have on hand. This can include their social security number, health insurance or Medicare plan information, and even links to their household accounts like electric.

Not only that, having the right paperwork reduces your loved ones’ stress, especially if they’re in charge of a family member’s medical care and estate. It eases their burden during a difficult time, and that’s an invaluable gift.

Topics discussed:

- What to do if your spouse has a stroke

- Wills and estates

- Paperwork for elderly family

- Crisis preparedness

- Insurance and long-term care policies

- End-of-life / funeral plans

- Social Security and identity theft preparedness for seniors

Takeaways from this episode:

- Don’t wait to create a plan of action in case of an emergency. Life can change in an instant, and it’s a huge relief to realize you were prepared.

- It’s a gift to your loved ones to have your important documents somewhere easily retrievable (but safe and secure)!

- Include medical and financial information in your binders, as well as household accounts, electric, gas, and cell phone account information and passwords.

- Medical considerations include: veteran’s benefits, a Medicare plan (and which), a DNR, insurance policies, medication prescriptions, and whether they have a long-term care policy.

- Financial considerations: Become a signer on their bank accounts and have your name on stocks and bonds (and have them in electronic form).

- Multifactor authentication is where websites send access codes to your cell phone. Be sure you have a way to access those codes for your loved one if you need to log in to their accounts.

- Protect yourself from identity theft by sending death certificates to the 3 credit bureaus.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Creating Your Binder List:

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2c62c2_65a3d9193ff5449bb47d6c1b4ab5e883~mv2.jpg

Claim your social security account:

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/create.html

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Mentioned in this episode:

Surrounded by Love

You can find my book, "Surrounded by Love: One Family’s Journey Through Stroke Recovery," on Amazon. It is available as a Kindle, hardcover, paperback, and also on Audible. More details can be found on my website: