Putting Your House in Order: Plan In Advance for Hospitalizations, Death of Family Members or Emergency

To be prepared in the event of an emergency, hospitalization or death of a family member, the following items should be gathered and documented in a planning book.

Personal Information

• Full name, birth date, birthplace, address, and social security number for each family member.
• Emergency notification list of family and friends to call in case of death or serious illness.
• A list of organizations to which each person belongs
• Summary of military service information and where corresponding documents are kept.

Legal Information

• Certified copies of birth and marriage certificates.
• Durable power of attorney for each parent, which allows legal decisions to be made even when a spouse is incapacitated.
• A legal will drawn up by an attorney
• Trust documents fr each parent.

Financial Information

• Sources of income, lists of assets and liabilities
• A list of bank, savings, and credit card accounts with corresponding account numbers.
• All real estate holdings, along with the names of mortgage lenders and loan account numbers.
• Insurance policies, names and agents and numbers to call in case of emergencies, beneficiaries and a brief summary of provisions.
• Location of safe deposit boxes and a record of their contents.

Medical Information:

• A list of doctors and their phone numbers; a summary of family members' known allergies and long-term medications.
• A statement from each parent regarding donation of organs.
• A living will, if desired, specifying no use of artificial life-support systems beyond reasonable hope of recovery.
• Medical power or attorney for each spouse, which allows medical decisions to be made by one spouse in the event the other spouse is too ill to do so.

Funeral Arrangements:

• Funeral and burial information indicating the name of the funeral home and cemetery, the location of burial lots, and a list of which services, if any, have been already been prearranged for or prepaid.
• Drafts of obituaries and funeral programs.
• A list of professional people familiar with your affairs that may be called upon for help, such as accountants, attorneys, and insurance agents.

Make sure your plan book contains information about where important documents or other needed information can be found. Schedule to review the information on a periodic basis and keep it updated.

When you complete your plan book, you will feel a sense of satisfaction in having put your temporal affairs in order. Discuss the contents of the book with your children and show them where the book will be kept. Keep the original and make one copy to give to the executor of the estate. Hopefully, your plan book won't be needed for many years, but you will feel secure knowing it is ready and you have "Set your house in order."