The document checklist — everything you need in one place

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances.

You're sitting in a lawyer's office after your father had a stroke. The attorney is asking you questions about his financial situation, his medical history, his wishes. He's asking if there are any documents in place. You pull out a folder full of papers. There's something that might be a power of attorney. There's what looks like a healthcare directive from ten years ago. There's insurance paperwork. There are bills. But you don't actually know if you have everything. You don't know if things are current. You don't know what you're missing. The attorney looks at all of it and says, "Let's figure out what you actually have and what you need."

Most people who help aging parents end up in this situation. There are papers scattered around. Some are important. Some are outdated. Some are incomplete. You're not sure what you should have or whether you have everything. The paperwork creates confusion instead of clarity, which defeats the whole purpose of the documents.

This checklist is meant to help you organize what you have and figure out what you're missing. It's a list of documents that most families should have in place. You won't necessarily need every single one, but this gives you a framework for thinking about what matters. Once you know what you should have, you can assess whether you have it, whether it's current, and whether you need to get more.

Understanding the Basics

There are several categories of documents. Medical documents direct care. Financial documents direct the management of money and assets. Estate documents address what happens to property after death. Personal documents cover identity and status. Not every family needs every document, but most families benefit from having most of these.

Medical documents are critical because they affect the care your parent receives. Financial documents matter because they prevent costly complications. Estate documents matter because they affect what happens to your parent's property. Personal documents matter because they help prove identity and legal status.

Some documents are critical even for relatively simple situations. Every adult should have a healthcare power of attorney. Every adult should have a will. Many adults should have a financial power of attorney. These are the minimum. Other documents become necessary based on specific situations.

Some documents protect your parent. A healthcare directive protects your parent's right to refuse unwanted treatment. A power of attorney protects your parent's interests by ensuring someone they trust manages their affairs. Some documents protect you. A HIPAA authorization gives you legal right to information. A representation agreement protects you if you're managing someone's affairs.

The documents should work together as a system. The power of attorney names someone to manage finances. The healthcare power of attorney names someone to make medical decisions. The HIPAA authorization gives legal right to medical information. The will directs what happens to property. These documents together create a plan for what happens if your parent becomes incapacitated and after your parent dies.

The Checklist

Let's start with the most critical medical documents. Your parent should have a healthcare power of attorney that names someone to make medical decisions if they cannot. This is sometimes called a healthcare proxy or healthcare agent designation. Without this, if your parent loses the ability to make medical decisions, the hospital will not be able to discuss their care with you without a court order.

Your parent should have a living will or advance directive that describes what kind of medical treatment they want and don't want. This might address CPR, intubation, artificial nutrition, antibiotics, pain management. This document expresses your parent's values and wishes around end-of-life care.

Your parent should have a HIPAA authorization that gives you legal right to access their medical information. Without this, healthcare providers cannot discuss your parent's health with you.

If your parent has a serious or terminal illness, they should have a POLST or MOLST form. This is a medical order, not a general statement of values, and it's much more actionable in a crisis.

If your parent has certain strong wishes about resuscitation, they might have a DNR order. This is a specific legal document that tells paramedics not to perform CPR.

Now for financial documents. Your parent should have a financial power of attorney that names someone to manage their finances if they cannot. This lets someone access bank accounts, pay bills, and make financial decisions.

Your parent should have a will that states who gets their property after they die. Without a will, state law determines what happens to your parent's property, which often isn't what your parent would want.

Your parent should have a durable power of attorney. Actually, many people use "durable power of attorney" to mean a power of attorney that remains valid even if the person loses capacity. Make sure any power of attorney your parent executes is durable in that sense.

Your parent should have a statement about beneficiaries. Bank accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies—all have beneficiary designations. Your parent should have thought through who should inherit these accounts if something happens. Checking that beneficiary designations are current matters.

If your parent has significant assets, they might need a trust. A trust is a more complex document that manages assets according to specific directions. Trusts can help with estate taxes, with probate avoidance, with managing assets if your parent becomes incapacitated. Not everyone needs a trust, but people with substantial assets or complex family situations often do.

If your parent owns a business or has significant assets in a business, documents addressing business succession might be needed.

Now for personal documents. Your parent should have a statement listing where all important documents and accounts are stored. Where is the will? Where is the insurance? Where are the bank accounts? Who knows this information? Create a master list.

Your parent should have a digital estate plan that addresses online accounts, passwords, and digital assets.

Your parent should have a document that appoints a representative payee for Social Security benefits if they cannot manage those benefits themselves. This is a specific Social Security Administration form, not a general legal document.

Your parent might have a deed or property documents for any real estate they own. Make sure you know what property your parent owns and whether there are mortgages or liens.

Your parent might have a list of their financial accounts with account numbers and contact information. This makes it easier to figure out what accounts exist and how to access them if needed.

Your parent should have insurance documents. Homeowner's insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, long-term care insurance if they have it, disability insurance. Understand what insurance your parent carries and where the policies are.

Your parent should have information about pension or retirement accounts. If your parent receives a pension, they might need survivor designation documents. If your parent has a 401k or IRA, they need up-to-date beneficiary designations.

Your parent might have marriage or divorce documents that prove marital status. This can matter for benefits, for estate distribution, for medical decision-making.

Your parent should have information about any debts. What mortgages does your parent have? What loans? Credit cards? It's helpful to know what debts exist so they can be handled appropriately.

Your parent should have information about any guardianship, conservatorship, or representative payee appointments that already exist.

What You Might Be Missing

If you pull together all the documents your parent has, you'll likely find some gaps. Most people do. Your parent might have a will but no power of attorney. They might have a power of attorney but it's twenty years old. They might have a healthcare directive but no financial power of attorney. Few people have everything.

Start by listing what you actually have. Don't assume a document exists. Gather it. Look at it. See what it actually says. See when it was created. See who it names.

Then compare to this checklist. What's missing? What needs to be updated? What doesn't apply to your parent's situation?

Think about your parent's specific circumstances. Does your parent have complex assets that might need a trust? Does your parent have a business? Does your parent have significant life insurance? Does your parent have concerns about long-term care costs? These specifics might require documents beyond the basic ones.

Think about your parent's family situation. Is your parent married, divorced, widowed, or single? Are there stepchildren? Are there tensions in the family? Some situations need more detailed documentation than others.

Think about your parent's health. Is your parent healthy? Do they have chronic illness? Is there cognitive decline? The state of your parent's health affects which documents matter most and how urgently you need to get them in place.

Once you understand what you have and what you're missing, you can make a plan. Some of it might involve contacting an attorney. Some might be simpler to handle. But you can't make a plan without understanding what you're starting with.

Taking Next Steps

Gather all the documents your parent has. Look through them. Make a list of what you found. Put dates on them. Note who the documents name as agents, power of attorney, beneficiaries, whatever roles exist.

Compare to this checklist. What is your parent missing?

Prioritize. What matters most right now? If your parent doesn't have a healthcare power of attorney and their health is declining, that's priority. If your parent's will is forty years old and names people who are dead, updating it is priority. If your parent has never discussed what they want end-of-life care to look like, those conversations are priority.

Make a meeting with an elder law attorney if you determine your parent needs documents created or updated. Bring all the documents you've gathered so the attorney can see what you're working with.

If your parent still has capacity, work with them. These are your parent's documents. Your parent needs to be involved in deciding what documents to create, what they should say, and who should be named in them. You're helping help the process, but your parent is making the decisions.

If your parent has lost capacity, you might need guardianship to get documents signed, or you might need to focus on other solutions like representative payee for Social Security.

Store the completed documents appropriately. Make copies. Distribute them to relevant parties. Update your master document about where everything is.

This checklist is not meant to be overwhelming. It's meant to be a reference so you understand what documents address what issues. Most families don't need every single document. But most families benefit from having many of them. Working through this checklist helps you figure out what your family needs and whether you're in good shape or whether you need to add some things to your planning.

How To Help Your Elders is an educational resource. We do not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. The information in this article is general in nature and may not apply to your specific situation. If you are concerned about a loved one's cognitive health or safety, consult with their healthcare provider or contact your local Area Agency on Aging for guidance and support.