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No matter your age or family situation, it’s important to have your legal affairs in order. If you’re moving into an assisted living facility, then you need to make sure that these documents are organized, and your wishes known if something should happen to you. Seniorly assisted living search platform can help you find the right housing, but you should take care of your documents yourself.

Medical Documents

Whenever someone moves into a facility, the staff should know what their wishes are if their condition deteriorates while they live there. Here are some of the documents the resident or their family should prepare and have at hand:

• Insurance Information – Place your Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance card where you can easily find it.
• Personal Medical History – Ask for copies of your medical files from your doctors to have on hand.
• Authorization for Healthcare Information – This authorization should name who can receive information about a resident’s healthcare.
• Long-term Care Insurance – If you have a plan for long-term care, give a copy of the insurance information to the facility you move to and keep a copy with your other medical documents.
• Durable Power of Attorney – This designates the person to handle the resident’s affairs if they cannot make decisions themselves.
• Living Will – This document states what care the resident wants if they should have a life- threatening heart attack, stroke, or another incidence occur.

HIPAA laws allow you to request and receive copies of your medical records from your doctor, so request them and keep them on hand in case they are needed.

End of Life Documents

If you’re moving into a facility, your end of life documents should be kept where they can be easily found.

Show the person you designate as your Power of Attorney where they are kept and how to contact your lawyer about legal documents they have regarding your end of life decisions. These documents may include:

1. Will – Your attorney will have a copy in their office, but you should tell the person who is your executor about the will’s existence.
2. Trust Documents – Your attorney will also have these in his or her office.
3. Life Insurance Policies – Show the Power of Attorney or a trusted family member where they are kept.
4. End of Life Instructions – Outline what your wishes are for your funeral and memorial service, and where you want to be buried, as well as plot information if you have one, in a letter for your family.
5. Organ Donor Card – If you want to be an organ donor, make sure your family members are aware of your desires since timing for donation is important.

Financial Documents

Although your attorney may have copies of these, you should also have copies of them where they can be easily found. These documents include:

• Bank Account Records – This includes checking, savings, Certificates of Deposits, and information on a safe deposit box if you have one.
• Vehicle Titles – Make sure your car, truck, and other vehicle titles are up-to-date before moving into a facility.
• Tax Returns – You should keep at least three years of records on hand.
• Deeds to Property – Make sure this information is easily found if something happens to you.
• Credit Accounts – Include credit cards and records of loans and debts in this file.

Appoint a financial Power of Attorney if you have substantial assets to take care of business for you.

There are many more documents you should have on hand like marriage certificates, divorce papers, and death certificates for your deceased relatives. Make sure the appropriate people know where to find your documents if something were to happen to you.