ABA/AARP Checklist for Family Caregivers: A Guide to Making It Manageable

by Sally Balch Hurme

Overview

Caregiving is inevitably fraught with complex issues—emotional as well as medical, financial, and legal. The ABA/AARP Checklist for Family Caregivers by Sally Balch Hurme can help organize the responsibilities that caregivers face.

In one place, you’ll be able to record and update the myriad details you need to keep track of. And if you don’t know where to start, this invaluable tool tells you, step by step, what you need and why.

You can easily personalize the to-do lists, either in the book or electronically, and have them available for quick reference for your caregiving team—family, friends, aides, and medical, financial, and legal professionals.

This new book—third in the Checklist series from AARP and the ABA—will save you time and simplify the daunting tasks of caregiving. Hurme shows you how to become a trusted steward—without losing your sanity.

A companion to the PBS documentary (June 2015) and Amy Goyer’s ABA/AARP Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781634251518
Publisher:	American Bar Association
Publication date:	05/11/2015
Pages:	277
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Sally Hurme is an elder law attorney and author. While with AARP for 23 years she worked on a wide variety of issues including advance care planning, surrogate decision making, consumer fraud, elder abuse, and financial security. Ms. Hurme was an advisor to the Uniform Law Commission in the drafting of the uniform guardianship jurisdiction act and Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and other Protective Arrangements Act. She also was a member of the U.S. State Department delegation that drafted the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults. She has authored 20 law review articles and book chapters on various elder law issues and taught elder law at George Washington UniversityLaw School. She is author of the ABA/AARP Checklist series: Checklist for My Family, Checklist for Family Survivors, Checklist for Family Caregivers, Get the Most Out of Retirement, and Wise Moves. She received her law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University, Washington, D.C., and her bachelor's degree from Newcomb College, Tulane Universityin New Orleans. Sally currently lives in Bridgewater, Virginia.

Table of Contents

About the Author vii

Introduction ix

My To-Do Checklists xiii

My Action Checklists xvii

Chapter 1 What I Need to Know

My To-Do Checklist 2

What I Need to Know Action Checklists 7

Personal History 8

Getting to the Heart of Things 15

Activity Levels 18

Signs of Difficulties Managing Finances 20

Signs of Financial Exploitation 21

Home Safety 22

Emergency Preparedness 24

Taking Care of Myself 26

Chapter 2 Our Caregiving Team

My To-Do Checklist 28

Our Caregiving Team Action Checklists 34

Team Tasks 35

Backup Care/Emergency Contacts 37

Care and Services Contacts 39

Health Contacts 45

Financial Contacts 50

Legal Contacts 53

Employer Leave Policies and Other Caregiver Supports 55

Veteran's Caregiver Supports 58

Chapter 3 Know Where It Is

My To-Do Checklist 62

Know Where It Is Action Checklists 66

Where to Find It 67

Safe Deposit Boxes 71

Storage Units 73

Digital Assets 74

Rewards Programs for Airlines, Hotels, and Rental Cars 76

Chapter 4 Making Decisions for Someone Else

My To-Do Checklist 80

Making Decisions for Someone Else Action Checklists 89

Agent with a Power of Attorney 90

Trustee 92

Representative Payee/VA Fiduciary 94

Guardian 95

Chapter 5 Medical Matters

My To-Do Checklist 97

Medical Matters Action Checklists 101

Medical History 102

Personal Medication Record 106

Health Care Power of Attorney 108

Medical Orders (Do Not Resuscitate/POLST) 110

Chapter 6 Deciphering Contracts

My To-Do Checklist 113

Deciphering Contracts Action Checklists 121

Family Caregiver Agreements 122

Independent Home Care Contracts 125

Agency Home Care Contracts 131

Assisted Living Facility Contracts 135

Skilled Nursing Facility Contracts 137

Long-Term Care Insurance Policies 139

Funeral Pre-Need Arrangements 141

Chapter 7 Money Matters

My To-Do Checklist

Money Matters Action Checklists 151

Income 152

Bank Accounts 154

Social Security Benefits 157

Veterans' Benefits 158

Public Benefits 159

Expenses 160

Credit and Debit Cards 162

Lawsuits and Judgments 164

Outstanding Loans 165

Personal Debts 166

Reverse Mortgage 168

Chapter 8 Retirement Plans and Investments

My To-Do Checklist 169

Retirement Plans and Investments Action Checklists 175

Pensions 176

Retirement Plans 177

Certificates of Deposit 180

Money Market Funds 181

Municipal Bonds 182

Mutual Funds 182

Savings Bonds 184

Stocks and Bonds 185

Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds 186

Chapter 9 Taking Care of Property

My To-Do Checklist 188

Taking Care of Property Action Checklists 194

Commercial Property 195

Condominium 197

Investment Property 198

Personal Property and Heirlooms 199

Primary Residence 203

Rental Residence 204

Secondary Residence 205

Time-Share 206

Trust 207

Chapter 10 Insurance Protection

My To-Do Checklist 209

Insurance Protection Action Checklists 215

Health Insurance 216

Homeowner's and Renter's Insurance 220

Life Insurance 221

Vehicle Insurance 222

Annuities 223

Chapter 11 Making Final Arrangements

My To-Do Checklist 226

Making Final Arrangements Action Checklists 232

Final Wishes Summary 233

Burial 234

Celebration of Life 235

Charities 236

Cremation 237

Entombment 238

Ethical Will 239

Funeral/Memorial Service 241

Letter of Instruction 243

Obituary 244

Organ and Tissue Donation 245

People to Contact 246

Will and Codicil 248

Veterans' Burial Benefits 250