Taking Control of Eldercare Paperwork

The good news - and I can tell you this from personal experience - is that, regardless of where you are in your caregiving timeline, you can save time and make your life easier and more manageable by putting systems in place for the long haul.

My Generational Coaching clients often say to me "I have too much stuff going on - I don't have time to get organized!" However, when they start tracking the time they spend looking for and/or duplicating information, they are shocked at how much time and energy they're wasting - especially long-distance caregivers and/or those sharing caregiving responsibilities with others.

But where to begin? Here are 2 tips to get you started:

Tip #1 - SORT

• Get lots of file folders (you can always return what you don't use).
• Label the files however makes sense to you. For example: legal, medical, insurance, home, car, bank, Medicare, etc.
• Sort and file papers by topic (as above).
• Sort each file by "current year", "past year", and "all previous years".
• Paper clip or put into individual (regular) file folders.
• Toss obvious garbage like envelopes, but don't worry about serious purging in this initial sort.

If you stop at this point, you will have reduced your search time substantially.

Later, when time and enthusiasm permits, go through each file and

• Starting with the current year, sort chronologically. At some point, you may want to put past years into chronological order, too, but they can wait.
• Check with your accountant about what to keep and for how long and throw out the rest. A quick Google search will also help you find more information about these guidelines.

If your elderly parent is willing and able to help, by all means, work together. Pour a glass of wine or hot chocolate, pop some popcorn, and put on music or a movie, and make an "event" of it. If you are working together, however, allow a lot more time or work over several sessions. Not only can this be an exhausting task for them, you'll also want to allow time for "spontaneous reminiscing".

Whether you use file jackets, color-coded files, or shoe boxes, the important thing to remember is that it doesn't have to be elaborate. Nor do you have to go for perfection.

Tip #2 - COMPILE

While you're sorting, take time to assess what information and vital documents you do - and don't - have.

• Make a list of important providers (doctors, lawyer, accountant, stockbroker, etc.), accounts (insurance, bank, investment, etc.), and vital documents (Living Will, Health Care Proxy, Power of Attorney, original birth/death certificates, marriage license, Will, etc.) 
• You can use a sheet of paper or if you visit my website, you can receive a complimentary copy of the AgeWiseLiving Legal & Financial Organizer which includes a list of vital documents.
• As you locate the information, fill in the name, contact information, account numbers, and where the documents are kept (for example, file cabinet or safe deposit box).
• If you're working with your aging loved one, this would be a great time to discuss the status of their Living Will, Health Care Proxy, etc.
• Once the list is completed, make copies for your parent, yourself, and other family members, if appropriate.

There will be more tips for getting eldercare under control in upcoming articles. For now, however, remember . . . simple is best, and the time you invest now will save you enormously in time and peace of mind in the future!

Barbara Friesner
AgeWiseLiving LLC
Eldercare Issues Resolved by Choice, Not Crisis