CareHub
The 12 documents every family needs before a crisis
The best time to gather these is a quiet afternoon — not the night of an emergency. Work through the list with your parent, one item at a time, and keep copies somewhere the whole family can reach.
This is general organizational guidance, not legal or medical advice. Documents like powers of attorney and directives should be prepared with a qualified professional in your state or country.
Identity & health basics
- Photo ID — driver's license, passport, or state ID; needed almost everywhere.
- Health insurance & Medicare cards — the numbers a hospital or pharmacy will ask for first.
- Medication list & allergies — every drug, dose, and reaction, kept current.
- Care team contacts — primary doctor, specialists, and preferred pharmacy.
Healthcare wishes
- Advance healthcare directive / living will — their wishes for care if they can't speak for themselves.
- Healthcare power of attorney — names the person allowed to make medical decisions for them.
- HIPAA authorization — lets doctors share updates with the family members they choose.
A DNR or POLST is a medical order a physician signs — it isn't something a family writes. If your parent has one, keep a copy with these documents; CareHub can store it, but it can't create it.
Money & legal
- Financial (durable) power of attorney — names who can handle money matters if needed.
- Will and/or trust — and where the signed originals are kept.
- Insurance policies — home, auto, life, and long-term care.
- Account list — banks and institutions (names, not full account numbers or passwords).
- Emergency contact sheet — key family, neighbors, and their preferred hospital and pharmacy.
That's twelve. You won't finish in one sitting, and that's fine — gathering even a few of these makes the next hard day far less frightening.
From CareHub — Support for Independent Living · care-hub.app/resources